Defiance of the Many: 1
by zzetta13
Summary: Defiance of the Many is a continuing story arc that I hope will be viewed in the direction of its format. The drama, humor and intrigue are parts that I hope are evident. Being a fan of the series I wanted to dig a little deeper into the psychology of the characters. Express a dimension that I'm sure the creators are sure to display, Thanks, Z.
1. Chapter 1

Defiance of the Many

"Chapter 1: Nolan of the Defiant Few"

Author's note: Story takes place a short time before the beginning of the pilot episode, and starts off with Nolan & Irisa in their roller traveling through the Badlands several miles outside the town of Defiance (just like in the tv show).

Author's explanation: I decided to call this story arc "Defiance of the Many" because the word is so prevalent in its use and literal function throughout the entire plot-line of the television premier. We find that there is a town called Defiance (formally St. Louis, Missouri), the main character of the story fought as a soldier for with the "Defiant Few" (unit brigade of the 9th earth military command), and the characters of the new, races of earth (after the "Pale Wars") all seem to be in some sort of defiance of one another. The Irathients defy the Castithans, the Castithans the Irathients, humans defy the Castithans & Irathients, and they all defy the Volge. Of course not to the point where they are willing to start the "Pale Wars" all over again, but enough so that is apparent that they'd rather be walking barefoot through dog shit rather than be dealing with one another (metaphorically speaking only). Also, the former Mayor of Defiance wants the new Mayor of the town (Julie Benz) to defy the reigning government "Earth Republic". Add to that that the new Mayor's sister runs the town brothel, bar, and gambling club and I get the feeling that "Sibling Defiance" should be thrown in there somewhere.

Anyhoo, I see this story arc as being a couple of chapters long, maybe longer if things go well and the inspiration stays with me, thanks for reading, Z.

*************************** Nolan: Of the Defiant Few *****************************

Nolan, Joshua Nolan, was an ex-soldier of the 9th Earth Military Brigade. He was now, and had been for a time, an Ark hunter, scavenger, and tracker, also…. he was yet to know it, but he would soon be adding Lawkeeper to his list, a list of full-time occupations, well, maybe not full-time, all of his occupations were at best, chance opportunities.

As of this moment he was headed down a rugged stretch of road, out in the Badlands. Next to him sat a girl, a woman-child really, named Irisa. Irisa was a special girl, and as rugged as Nolan was with her sometimes, with his speech and manner, he still cared for her, and she knew it.

The Badlands were ruff and dangerous, still the two preferred the open ranges to the cities. The cities were crowded and downright unfriendly at times, but the Badlands could be worse, they still preferred the latter of the two.

Nolan was looking down the road, with an occasional glance at his partner. He noticed that she was writing in her book, she did that often. He returned his attention to the road and saw something up ahead.

"Holy Crap," he uttered!

"What is it," Irisa asked?

"Could be trouble, stay alert."

He didn't have to tell his passenger twice. Irisa was used to trouble, fact was she'd grown up with it, and she knew how to handle herself.

Nolan brought the roller to a stop; there was a man up ahead, in the road, flailing his arms about. There was a vehicle stalled in the rocky roadway, pulled at an angle, another roller; it looked as if it was broken down. Nolan halted his vehicle fifty feet from the man. The gentleman came walking towards the ex-soldier's roller.

"That's close enough," Nolan spoke through the window. The man, still forty feet away, paused. He held out his arms, as if meaning no harm.

"Sure, sure friend, just looking for a little assistance," he replied, "Name's Wales, Curtis Wales, just need a little help with our vehicle is all."

Nolan turned to Irisa….

"Stay in the roller…..in fact move over to this side. I want you in the driver's seat if we need to be fast," he then opened the door and exited the vehicle. He closed the distance between himself, and this man he'd just met, but still allowed thirty feet to spare.

"What can I do for you," Nolan asked?

"Just need some fuel, some petrohol. On our way to the next town….to get hitched, me and my girl over there, ain't that right Terri?"

Nolan looked over at Curtis' roller. It was the first time he'd noticed the girl, she was human, but her stature was not unlike Irisa. She was in front of the roller, leaning over the hood, arms in plain sight as to reveal that she had nothing in them, but still, she could have a weapon stored below, on the roller, next to the grill. Nolan studied the situation a bit. He had a sharp eye, being a tracker, well, part time, he was quick with details.

He had glanced behind him whenever he had exited his roller, hadn't noticed any tracks behind him. Didn't seem that they were ready to launch and attack from his flank. Still it was odd that they hadn't stored enough fuel to make it through the Badlands. The closest town behind them was nearly two-hundred mile away.

"Yeah, just left her father's place, down the road a bit," Curtis pointed in the direction from which they'd come, the same direction Nolan and Irisa had come….

"Gonna get married the next big city we get to," he explained.

Nolan looked that the provisions cage mounted on the back of their roller. There were two metal fuel containers stored there, each with sizable bullet holes through them. The man had followed Nolan's gaze and knew that he had seem the damaged fuel containers. Seems they had had fuel in the beginning, but the holes had let it all leak out. Joshua returned his view to Curtis, and found him smiling.

"Well, I didn't say we left with his blessing," he chuckle, meaning to make humor of the situation. "Look, I'm prepared to trade, something of mine, for something of yours, Go-Juice for exchange of something of value on my roller."

Nolan could see that the man was becoming nervous; the ex-soldier was waiting for him to make a move, he didn't have long to wait. In a quick motion the man pulled aside the dark duster he wore and pulled out the harnessed weapon he'd had stored in his pants. Nolan's moves were just as quick; he had pulled his weapon from his holster and pointed it at the fellow's head.

There they stood, a stand-off… neither wanting to begin a gunfight, but ready if the other started firing first. Nolan glanced over at the girl; she had pulled a rifle from the front of the vehicle and was pointing it straight at Irisa. That didn't have him worried; he knew the Irathient girl could respond with her knives quicker that the Terri could pull the trigger. What did worry him was having a bullet hole through his windshield.

"Wait…wait….wait," Curtis announced, "I know how we can settle this peacefully, a grudge match, face to face, winner gets choice. I want your vehicle. You win you get your pick of whatever you want on my vehicle, you lose, I get your roller."

Nolan watched as Curtis lowered his weapon, but he also noticed that Terri hadn't dropped hers.

"Whats say, deal?"

Although Wales looked to be a sturdy fellow, and could hold his own, Nolan was taller, and stouter…it looked as if the ex-Defiant soldier had the better bargain.

"Deal!"

So, an agreement had been reached, a duel, a wrestling match, to the victor would go the spoils.

"Good," Curtis announced, then he turned his head a bit to the side and called over his shoulder, "G.W. come out to play!"

With that Nolan noticed a huge hunk of a fellow come from around a bolder, a Bioman….. Holy Crap.

"When I said face to face, I never meant my face," Wales said smiling.

END PART 1


	2. Chapter 2

Defiance of the Many

"Welcome to the New Age"

Author's note: Joshua Nolan finds himself mix up in a fighting match that may cost him his roller. The ex-9th brigade marine is confident that he can win, but his partner doesn't share the same sentiment. Still, Irisa understands that they could not just drive past these people and not assist them. That is not her father's way. He holds a code out in the Badlands, a code not held by all, but by some (as shown by Lawkeeper Clancy as well) you don't abandon folk in the wilderness, not without giving them some kind of support. Nolan, as well as Irisa, hope that these brigands believes in the same code, but they have their doubts.

*************************** Welcome to the New Age *****************************

So, here he was, halting progress to stop and help people in need. If you had asked Nolan what kind of progress these individuals were stopping him from achieving, he would have explained to you that it wasn't the progress of achieving material wealth, but rather the progress of the mind, of the soul, which was a pile of total shtako for sure, but Irisa was pretty use to her dad trying to bullshit the people they came across, both votans and humans alike.

As far as Nolan could tell, he had two options. One, he could fight the Bioman and take his chances on being the victor, sticking with the deal he had made with Curtis, or two, he could refuse to fight…. and this little episode could escalate into a shoot-out….taking the chance that Irisa could get injured, or his property damaged. Looking at the big brute standing behind Wales, he felt that he could take him.

"Alright, let's do this," he said, "but first, no weapons. Since I'm going to be engaged with this over-grown pile of Shtako, you and I, Curtis, are going to put our guns on the ground, and Terri over there," he tilted his head towards the girl by the crippled roller, she lays her weapon on the hood, Deal?"

Wales considered this proposal. With the Bioman as his stand-in what did he have to lose?

"Deal," he spoke. And then he stooped down and placed his weapon on the ground.

Satisfied, Nolan began walking towards his roller….

"Hey, where are you going," Curtis questioned?

Nolan turned back around to look at him….

"I didn't say where I'd put my weapon on the ground," two could play at the game of words.

When he was within six feet of his roller he squatted down and placed his gun on the ground in front of Irisa, in full view of the girl, he looked up at her, into her eyes, the eyes he'd looked into many times before. There was communication there, a telepathic connection almost, words not spoken, yet still received. Thoughts exchanged by knowing your partner as well as knowing yourself.

"When I get back to Curtis I want you to open the door, and stand ready for what comes next," he whispered.

"And what would that be," she asked?

"I donno, that's why I said to be ready," then he gave her a wink, as opposed to her frown. She knew he was going to say that, she knew him well.

"How good are my chances at beating him…. you think?"

Irisa looked at Nolan….

"On a scale of one to ten, I think you've got a ten," she paused, he smiled, and then she continued, "ten being in his in favor."

Nolan lost his smile quickly.

"But let's say you did win, there'd better be jewels among that load of shtako cargo he's got stashed away on his roller," she said, "We get that, and I'll forgive you this little excursion,"

Nolan didn't reply, he just turned and went back to his spot in front of his two opponents.

"OK Curtis, you back away, and Terri puts the rifle down on the hood. That was the arrangement, remember," he spoke while glancing at the girl. His conditions were met, and the big Bioman stepped up to begin the battle. Nolan looked up at the guy.

"Jeez G.W., you're a big fella," he spoke.

With that the Bioman came charging at the ex-Defiant soldier. Nolan sidestepped him easily and delivered a punch to his right midsection. The creature never even registered he'd been hit. He turned and came at Nolan again, this time swinging his own fist and delivering a glancing blow upon the ex-marine's cheek. Nolan shook it off quickly; he knew there was an off-switch on this beast somewhere, if could remember where it was? He charged the man and delivered a blow to the fellow's left ear…..nothing, didn't even faze him. Then the creature swung and hit Nolan in the shoulder, no glancing blow this time, a solid punch. The ex-military man flew ten feet backwards into the air. He landed on his back, rubbing his shoulder but kept a cool head. He was thinking….. "this model looks like an early type of the genetically engineered specimens, before their off-switches were better concealed". At that moment something Irisa had said to him triggered his memory…. She had mentioned jewels; his eyes grew wide as he recalled what he'd been told about the weaknesses of the early model Biomen, he remembered where the off-switch was. He hopped up onto one knee and delivered a punch directly to the man's stones, just as the hulk came running at him again. The big brute began a free-fall plunge to the ground, spilling to the earth like a pile of buffalo shtako on the prairie lands of the Midwest Nolan then began to roll towards his weapon, spinning closer to his gun with each tumble.

"Nolan here," Irisa called! She had reached his weapon first. She tossed it over to him.

The soldier caught the sidearm in midair, and blasted Terri's rifle from the hood before she could retrieve it. He did the same to Wales' weapon on the ground.

The fight was over…

********************Batman & Robin, or Bonnie & Clyde ************************

Curtis and Terri sat on the ground with their hands tied and their backs against their roller, each expressing a frown upon his and her face. They listened as Nolan rummaged through their driving compartment, searching for valuables. He suddenly stood up holding a cloth bag. He reached inside and found that it contained something very rare indeed.

"A Terrasphere Activation Stem, Holy Shtako! This was worth fighting that big pile of Bio-crap lying on the ground all by itself!"

"Hey, that's not for trade," Wales spoke!

Nolan looked at him…..

"My pardon, but the agreement was, to the victor goes the spoils," he wrapped the activation rod back into the cloth and tossed it to his partner. He returned to searching the cab. When he was finished he had a new scanner in his grasp as well, better than his old one, this one played musical tunes, Johnny Cash at the top of the list.

"Hey, how are we supposed to find our way around without that," Curtis questioned?

Nolan looked at him again…..

"Look, we put you a full can of "petrohol" in you storage rack. When we've gone it shouldn't take you that long to work your way out of those binds. I suggest, that once you're free, you load up G.W. over there and follow this road down to the nearest civilized town you come across. There you can call your father-in-law and have him deliver you a new scanner. Oh, and by the way, you could probably sell G.W. there too," Nolan grinned, "not worth the pay you'd get for an activation cell, but better than nothing," he paused, "good luck with your marriage."

And with that, one of the last remaining men of the "Defiant Few" returned to his roller. Starting the engine he and Irisa continued down the road. He glanced over at his partner. Again she was writing in her book. One day he was going to look in there, he was curious as to what she was writing about him.

END


	3. Chapter 3

Defiance of the Many 3

"Kennedy: Bioman of a Different Nature"

Author's note: This is a bit of a deviation from the tv series but I hope that readers will enjoy it anyway….

Since I've been enjoying the first 3 episodes of "Defiance" I have decided to write in a little story twist to this arc series. I've decided to write a backstory about a Bioman, a Bioman named Kennedy.

Now, it is in my perception that Biomen, although genetically generated, are still living, breathing beings (they are not Terminators), meaning that even though they started their existence in a Petri Dish, they are living entities, and as such, deserve the civil rights as any human being. Still, we….as earth folk, are very picky when it comes to acceptance, (we have more in common with the Castithans than we dare admit). We have chosen not to allow these laboratory generated shtako into our mist. We see them as occupying the lowest rung on the ladder. The equivalent almost, of hellbug shtako stuck to our boots. Ohhhhh….the shame of human inequality As shown in the tv series, it still manifests itself in the future….

Author's second note: If you want to picture Kennedy you should conjure up the image of one of the engineers from the big screen movie, Prometheus, however, more to the height of 6'6" rather than an 8 foot tall giant. This should give the reader a good idea of what Kennedy looks like….IMP (in my perception), thank you, Z.

*************************** Frankensteins *****************************

There's an old saying….."War is Hell", but when you are a being that has actually been genetically constructed for the purpose of war, what comes after, well, maybe that's the real hell.

Biomen weren't created for peace; they had been generated to serve a purpose, to assist the earth government in the destruction of its enemies. They had performed their duties well. However, with the war being over, it became uncertain of what to do with them. It would seem rather immoral just to gather them up and dispose of them all. Even though they were grown in a lab, they were actual, living, breathing beings. Whether they were human or other, was still under debated.

It was determined just to let them live. Many of the ex-commandos had been purchased as sentinels, or had found work as sentries. It was found that they performed their job duties with mix results. For one thing, they were not good around livestock or cattle, or around family pets, seeming to respond to any animal aggression, with aggression of their own. Many a dog and cat had gone to their grave after barking or hissing at a Bioman, well, what was left of them. Biomen were better around people, not that they were seen as much more than pets themselves, but they responded with less aggression towards humans. It must have been that they were groomed to understand the human mindset was above that of the animals of the land. Still, it was understood….. and they perceived themselves, as being lower than humans, they realized that they were regarded as less… almost sub-human. They were the Neanderthals of the twenty-first century…yet; it did not keep them from the desire or the of want of attaining human status.

Now, not all Biomen were clumsy or stupid. It had been found during the war that there needed to be cased a leadership bank, a series of genetics that could take commands, but also give them, a group of individuals that could think and reason and determine a situation on their own. This had led to Bio-lieutenants being created, a higher degree of Biomen. The Earth Military Coalition didn't want to send a human to lead an attack against a Voltan fortified position, one that was sure to result in the deaths of the ranking Earth Coalition officers… No! Sending a human officer into what would be his certain demise was not an intelligent thing to do, better to sacrifice a Bioman lieutenant, a being of higher intelligence, yet one that was considered to be a drone, this was the preferable option, and was why the Kennedy class came into existence.

JFK, John Fitzgerald Kennedy had served in combat during the earth battle of World War 2, and had proven to be a hero. The Kennedy series were named after this president. They had served with distinction, and there were several still roaming the wastelands and foraging through the cities of the New Earth Republic at this time. They were still considered, by most folk, as being monsters, monsters of human creation.

Like was stated above, War is Hell, but sometimes, what comes after….. at least for the Bioman, seemed worse.

*************************** Kennedy: Model 2032 *****************************

Kennedy, Kennedy was walking the streets of a fair sized town somewhere in the central part of a nation now known as the New Earth Republic. Kennedy had been instructed to think, to understand, to learn, however, what was it that set him apart from any other Kennedy that had served as lieutenants with the Earth Military Coalition forces? Well the answer to that was…..nothing. Nothing was different with this Bioman, there was nothing that would distinguish him from his brothers that had server as well, that is nothing but the serial number branded across his chest. That was the only definable marks that made him different, other than this, he could have been a tree in the forest. It was hell walking through a world being thought of as a robot (which Biomen were not), as having no individualism. Kennedy was determined to find a way to change that. He was looking for a way to make himself an individual, to make himself different.

He was now walking the dusty roads of a town in the Midwest calling itself Defiance. He was shunned by most of the townsfolk that crossed his path, treated like a leper, but he'd become numb to it. He was loathed, ostracized, even considered lower than a beast of burden. In many of the places he'd wandered he'd been forced to leave town. They would not even allow him to remain within the protection of their gates. The fear of a Bioman going berserk, and flailing people was forthwith in people's minds, (There were documented records of Biomen doing this). The city of Defiance however, had been different, it had allowed him to remain within its walls, safety guarded behind its stasis net. Still, however, he was considered lower than the low….. a vagrant upon the grounds, a traveler, a pilgrim, an individual with no place to live...and nowhere to call home. What Kennedy realized was that he needed a name, a first name, something that would set him apart from the other Kennedys roaming the planet.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he looked upon a wall in front of him. Standing before him was a huge, elevated building, standing tall and proud. On its facade he read the inscription, the "Darby Building". That was it! His name, the one he'd been searching for… for seemingly eons.

Kennedy had been searching for a way to become an individual, a means of showing that he was different. Adding a first name to his title fit that description. It may separate him from the others. He spoke the name low, to himself, Darby, Darby Kennedy. It wasn't often that a Bioman had an occasion to smile, fact being, when one did, people often took this as some kind of evil thought running through their brains, and the Bioman was shunned even more. Darby didn't care about that, he was happy, and if thinking of a name made him happy, yet it sent fear into the minds of the townsfolk around him, well, those folk would have to just experience that emotion.

Darby Kennedy, he liked that name. And in a town calling itself Defiance, he let go a defiant smile. Whether the folk around were fearful of him, or thought him insane, well, he was OK with that. It was the name he was focused on, and "Darby Kennedy" suited him just fine.

END PART 3


	4. Chapter 4

Defiance of the Many 4

"Badlands"

Author's note: Darby Kennedy had had enough of the city of Defiance. It was the same in every town or village he entered. Biomen were sub-rated citizens. If someone needed a heavy, or someone to collect a debt for them, a Bioman, with his combat experience, was the muscle to hire. Darby was tired of that kind of life. He had maimed and killed enough in his life. It was time for him to retreat to the wilderness again, to regain his soul…..

*************************** The Badlands *****************************

Darby looked across a vast expanse of nothingness. Well, that really wasn't true; the New Terraformed Earth still had plenty to offer. As a planet…..it had been "nip-tucked" head to toe, however, it still remained an ideal interstellar vacation destination…..

The ashen-hued giant smiled again to himself at his own little joke. Smiling demonstrated personality, and proved that there was a, thinking, reasoning being under all that sinew and muscle.

Darby Kennedy had left the security of Defiance, but he wouldn't miss the hospitality, there had been none. He had been offered employment, a job in the Hollows working for a votan named Datak Tarr, he had turned the job down. It seemed that Datak owned businesses in the shadier section of the town, and those businesses may have been less honorable than the Castithan would like him to believe. Also, Darby had seen that Datak already had another Bioman under his employ (Ulysses-537634), why did he want another?

Anyway, that had nothing to do with why he had set his back to Defiance. The Kennedy class Bioman was more of a frontiersman than a city dweller, a pioneer. He preferred the wind in his face and the darkness of a night sky over the lights of a discernible town. Underneath the stars he could think, and he didn't feel under the scrutiny of watchful eyes. Some Biomen were having a hard time adjusting to a life of peace and were finding it hard to function around other races of the world. Out in the open Darby felt less alone than he did in a city or town. He had the companionship of the stars, and the glittering rings of destroyed Votan Arks (as they circled across the veil of a moonless earth night) for company, it was beautiful. The wastelands, or Badlands, whichever one preferred to call them, really weren't that bad. Sure, there was danger, but the towns across the globe of the New Earth Republic contained just as much. Evil was not wasted on the Badlands…..

Darby had been lucky, during his wandering through the wastelands he had come across an Indogene, a votan named Binoka. Binoka was a strange character, but Darby had liked him. The huge Bioman had considered it odd that, only a few years before, he would have seen this man as his enemy, and would have been determined to kill him. Instead they had become friends. And to his surprise he had found that the votans were not the cruel creatures himself, and his brothers, had been generated to believe. Darby, for some time now, had been thinking that he may have been misled.

Binoka had instructed him in many things, one being that the world was full of enemies and hardships, as well as good things. He had tutored the Bioman in the ways of society, and taught him the art of diplomacy. He instructed him in how to recognize a friend from a foe, and how to size up an individual, to determine the true nature of their intent, and also to understand, that just because someone was different, didn't mean that they had no right to be different.

Binoka had been out in the Badlands looking for the "Ark of Knowledge". An alien vessel that contained the libraries of the whole of the votan peoples….it may have been lost in an Arkfall, or it may still be a satellite circling earth's orbit. He had explained to Darby that, if that ship were found, and the library intact, not only would it be worth a wealth of script, but also it would create a fortune in benefits that could be brought to the new Terraformed Earth.

The Terraformed Earth…. that thought brought Darby's brain back to reality. He was looking over a wasteland that had been transformed over a period of a short few years. There were still millions of people around that remembered the old "Earth that Was"…and although they may have been displeased at the sight held before his eyes at this moment, "Terraformed Earth" was, in its own way, just as beautiful. Even the "Badlands" had a degree of charm to them, a degree of charm and a silence that Darby preferred over the cities and towns. He found himself thinking of Binoka, and it saddened him to think of what had befell the Indogene. He felt his eyes wailing up. Darby Kennedy understood grief, but he did not understand the expression of shedding tears. It had been ingrained into Biomen not to feel this emotion; they had no time for it, only time for war.

Although there had been many things altered by the scientists that had created the Biomen, not all emotion had been drained from their psyche. It had been determined that sorrow and pain could be used as means to motivate destruction, (so their emotions were not canceled altogether). Therefore, the personality of each Bioman was left intact (they still retained a soul); however, since they had been created for war, pain and suffering were things Biomen just lived with.

The Military Coalition still had demanded, from the scientists, a way to turn them off. Therefore there was a "kill-switched" installed in each unit, to keep them under control. In the Ulysses series the off-circuit was located in the lower back, in other series it was found in the private parts, still, for the Kennedy class it was on the lower part of the back of the left foot, at the bottom, their "Achilles Heel". Since the Kennedy class were lieutenants and leaders…. it was determined that the "off-circuits" should be located more fastidiously. The heavy boots the Kennedy class Biomen wore made it more difficult to turn them off.

Darby Kennedy rested his head upon the ground. This would be a good night he thought, quiet and peaceful. Little did he know that there was trouble brewing on the horizon…..trouble and a surprise?

*************************** Searching *****************************

A startled Bioman was suddenly awakened from a restful slumber. There was a roaring noise in the nighttime sky… that had been the cause for his arousal. He gazed upwards into the heavens and noticed a fireball approaching through the deep veil of the night. Its fiery tail stretching almost a full mile, and its glow so bright it would have shamed the face of the moon, had there been one.

Darby watched as the huge fireball crashed onto the ground only a quarter mile from where he lay sleeping.

"Arkfall," he whispered softly to himself.

He had never witnessed one before. He'd seen plenty of Ark derbies after their crash to earth, and been told by Binoka of the many he had searched, but never had he seen one enter earth atmo himself. He watched as it skimmed the surface of the new world and came to rest only a short distance from him. The fire subsided quickly, almost as if the craft were happy again to be touching down on solid ground (after so long a time in the void of space). Darby could see from his position that most of the vessel had remained intact, and his curiosity seemed to get the better of him. He gained his feet and was determined to investigate.

The Bioman did not have a roller, so the path he made to the smoldering craft was on foot. It took him twenty minutes to get there and another twenty to wait for it to cool enough to make an approach. It was a giant vessel, and even though much of its exterior had been charred and burned away, this piece of Arkfall was as big as a city building.

As he made his approach, Darby took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around his hand in order to grasp the handle of a hatch that had become partly ajar. He opened the portal and looked inside. There was an abundance of steam and smoke, but from what he could see, much of this part of the vessel had remained undamaged. He ventured inside and was amazed by what he saw. There were machines inside, and technology that he'd never witnessed before. There was some illumination… lights lighting up parts of the interior, so he knew that there was some kind of power source that was still functioning, supplying it with energy. Although much of the vessel was dark, there was enough illumination bathing the inside as to allow him the ability to move around without becoming lost, or avoid parts of the vessel that were too damaged, he searched.

Darby entered another chamber and inside this section he witnessed rows and rows of Cryo-units. Sleep chambers with their occupants still inside, he approached the first one. The glass tube of the chamber had been damaged and the votan inside was obviously deceased. The individual had come so close to reaching a new life, so close yet so far; Darby thought…Well, his worries were over. The second chamber he viewed was undamaged, but the alien inside was dead as well, it was sad.

There was a bit of water vapor on inside of the third Cryo-capsule he came to, and some moisture on the outside. Darby used his hand to wipe it away and leaned in close to see what he could see. The Bioman was surprised; this chamber contained a girl, and a pretty one. Her eyes closed, she seemed to be in a deep sleep other than having ventured into the afterlife. There was a tube coming from the back of her chamber linking up into what looked to be a mouthpiece held between her lips, odd, the other two votans' did not have this. The Bioman deduced that this was some kind of emergency ventilator. Evidently she had regained consciousness during the explosion of the vessel and realized that the ship was in trouble. She had been alerted to take emergency precautions; this had saved her for a time…but alas, she was likely dead also...

Suddenly her eyes began to flutter. To Darby's utter shock he could see that she was breathing, she was alive…

END PART 4


	5. Chapter 5

Defiance of the Many 5

"Ark Hunters"

Author's note: Introducing a few new characters to the mix, although their page time may be limited.

Dennis & Tommy are roamers of the Badland territories, and raiders of Arkfalls . They also have a boss, a leader named Clyde Hemshaw (I would personally cast Merle Dixon, Michael Rooker, as Clyde Hemshaw. I think that he would be ideal for the part).

Anyhoo, Clyde, Tommy & Dennis are not the kind of Ark Hunters that Nolan & Irisa are (can you say… of less moral value). These three ruffians live on the fringe. They loot, pillage and destroy. Their souls having been cast to the wind, they live on the edge and view each day as if it could be their last…not a rare way of thinking in the world post-apocalypse of Defiance, what da ya think?

*************************** Ark Hunters *****************************

Darby was stunned that the girl he'd found in the Arkfall was still alive. He was confused about what to do. He had noticed a slight dump on her forehead which indicated that she'd been injured, but the extent of that injury was unknown to him. He wished Binoka had been there with him, to tell him how he could assist her. However, soon his thoughts were interrupted, and in an instant he became aware that others had entered the craft.

Arkfalls were not a quiet and tranquil happening; they were spectacular occurrences, events so dramatic that they could sometimes be seen from miles away, sometimes hundreds of miles. And if Darby had witnessed this Arkfall, it was a sure bet that it had been seen by others, he scrambled to find concealment behind some debris a short distance away.

"Dennis, come here!"…Darby heard someone voice loudly. They were just outside the Cryo-chamber. It was a human voice, with no determination of an accent. Whoever was coming, they didn't seem to be Spirit Riders, yet, they had seen the Arkfall too, and had come to investigate. He listened as he heard another man join the first (just outside the Cryo-room). "Ark hunters" he thought to himself…..

Ark hunters were people that toured the Badlands in search of valuables brought down to the surface by Arkfalls. Some people viewed them as being no better than grave robbers, but then some considered them as salvagers. No matter which line of thought an individual might take on the subject, Ark hunters were a reality, and some operated with honor, while others were nothing more than low-life shtako. Darby wondered which kind had entered the ship behind him.

"What is it Tommy," the second man was heard to ask?

"Look, another portal door. Let's go inside and see what we can find."

"Shouldn't we wait for Clyde…..?"

"Ain't necessary….he's in another part of the ship. We'll check it out first; see if there's anything of value, then we'll call him if we need to."

With that the door opened and Darby watched as two strangers entered the Cryo-unit. They looked to be rugged individuals, use to fending for themselves, and by appearance alone, led the Bioman to believe that they were as trustworthy as saberwolfs.

Darby remained hidden. He could tell pretty straight away that these men were skunks, pillagers that took what they wanted, not what they needed, and did not let any small sentiment, something as mundane as integrity, get in their way. They would likely kill if they had to (and even more unsettling, if they did not. Just for the pleasure), they began to case the room.

There were about sixteen Cryo-units inside, eight units opposed to each other. They examined each one, finding every occupant of the sleep-chambers deceased…. That is, until they reached the one where Darby had noticed that the girl was still alive.

"Tommy, this one's still alive! What should we do?"

"Call Clyde," the man answered.

In a few moments Tommy and Dennis were joined by another man, a fellow named Clyde. Clyde Hemshaw was the leader of this band of ruffians, and his appearance described him as such. Bigger than the others and more threating….Clyde seemed to dominate over his fellow Ark looters.

"What the shtako have you two gotten yourselves into, "he announced as he entered?

"A Cryo-chamber boss," Tommy answered.

"Find anything of value?"

"Not yet, hadn't looked."

Clyde's expression turned to one of disappointment.

"Well get to seachin…," he said, "open all these tubes and check these bodies for valuables and whatnots."

Darby watched as the three men began to open the Cryo-tubes. One by one they searched the bodies of the deceased votans. They found trinkets and medallions and little keepsakes that may have presented no value to these scavengers, but were personal family momentums and treasures to the individuals that they had belonged to. They filled their pockets with these items.

"Ain't much here for the pickings," Dennis said.

"Don't worry," Clyde announced, "little towns and villas around this territory will pay a pretty penny for mementos like this. People are always hungry to acquire relics from history. Something that they think will acquire value as time passes," he stopped to look at Tommy, "What would you give to be the owner of Captain Ed Smith's belt buckle, or maybe his watch?"

"Excuse me boss, who?"

"Captain Edward John Smith, Captain of the Titanic….." he paused for a moment, "don't you think that acquiring a memento of his, or a dinner plate from that sunken vessel would be worth a fortune?"

They could see his point, the belt buckle, or the watch of a Captain of such an historic vessel such as the Titanic would be worth shtako-load of script. Like the old saying went, "bury something in the ground, and tomorrow it may be worth nothing, yet in fifty years, or a millennia, it could let you retire".

The men searched with increased vigor. At that moment Darby could see that these folk were nothing more than grave robbers, looters of corpses, and he knew that he had made the right choice to take cover.

"What about this one boss," Tommy asked as he approached the Cryo-unit containing the girl that was still alive, "this votan is still living?"

"Holy Shtako, you didn't tell me there was one still alive!"

Clyde stood in front of the Cryo-chamber, for the moment he studied the occupant of the Cryo-capsule.

"I've already searched her, "Dennis came and stood next to him, "Ain't anything of value or treasure on the girl, "he informed his superior.

Clyde took this time to cast him an idiotic glance….. "Nothing of value, are you a complete moron?"

Clyde then turned back to gaze at the girl….

"She has got treasure, of that you can be assured. A treasure that I have not been of fortunate to sample in a long while," he said. He returned his view to the man standing next to him, "release her from the Cryo-tube and lay her down on that table over there, "he spoke as he began to unbuckle his pants, "time to get a little payback on the votan scum that have invaded our world, and planted their alien spawn all over the earth. Time to indulge in a little planting of my own, " he spoke.

His intent was obvious, and Darby was in debate on whether he should intervene, or allow this injustice to just happen? He had but seconds to make a decision.

END PART 5


	6. Chapter 6

Defiance of the Many 6

"Beauty & the Beast"

Author's note:

What monster can be viewed beyond its external image, a beast that has a heart and a soul? But a woman can look past the surface of man, to see the goodness in him. Kennedy is yet to experience the emotion of caring, of someone that sees him as more than just a big lug. This Bioman may have stepped into more than he bargained for…..

*************************** Spoils *****************************

Darby was faced with a dilemma, should he disrupt what was looking to become a sexual assault (even though the woman was a votan, and at one time, had been the enemy), or should he just sit and let this team of shtako take full advantage their victim?

The Bioman was in debate over the question. He watched as the Castithan was taken from her Cryo-tube (semi-conscious) and placed on a table slab, after the debris and clutter on its surface had been cleared away. Was she aware of what was about to happen to her, or was her mind still in the fog of hyper-sleep? The Bioman had little time to think.

These men had firearms; all he had was a knife. His firearm had been taken away from him in the town of Defiance, by that Peacekeeper named Nolan. Seems Biomen weren't trusted to carry protection in frontier towns, well, at least in Defiance. The only weapon of defense that he had been allowed to retain, by the Lawman, had been his knife. When Darby had left Defiance he had purposely forgotten his firearm, it had been a Von Bach prototype, an infusion of human weaponry with alien technology (alien tech that had been captured during the war), and being a prototype, it rarely worked correctly.

When the weapon had been forged, the union of earth technology and alien technology was in its infancy, and really wasn't ready for mass production. Kennedy had been quested to use the weapon on the battlefield, to see if it worked. Enlisted as a Bio-Lieutenant in the Company of the "Iron Demons", Kennedy had fought well and had received many an honored accommodation from his superiors. However, that meant little after the war. He had been cast out of the military, just as most of the Biomen who had served, and left to fend for himself. At first the government had attempted to place Biomen in security positions, but that had failed, it had become a mess. Later they were just expelled, cut lose to peruse their own destinies. Many a Bioman had taken his own life afterwards, a life that they had never considered their own in the first place. They felt rather useless without the existence of war. Genetically created, they had been allowed to retain their souls, yet unfortunately, after the war, they could find little, if any, work. What was a Bioman's life without work, without motivation? Many had fallen into the arms of the aliens, the same beings that they had been tasked to destroy. Those beings had now becoming many a Bioman's employer.

Darby was one of the few who had been fortunate; he had found an individual that had taught him honor and dignity, the Indogene Binoka. Binoka had helped him through this trying time.

Anyway, the Bioman had reasoned that upon his evacuation from defiance, as far as weapons go, the Von Bach prototype…. he really didn't need anymore. Although it looked impressive and intimidating, it constantly needed repair and often misfired. He was certain that he could gain another weapon in his travels. Yet now, even though it had been a piece of shit, watching the three men preparing to accost an innocent votan, he wished he had that Von Bach prototype belted to his side.

Darby watched from his concealment as the men pulled the half-conscious woman from her chamber and placed on the clean slab. Her clothing was lifted, and Clyde walked into the saddle of her open legs…..

"Yeah boys, this I'm going to enjoy…." He spoke as his pants hit the floor.

It was time for the Kennedy class Bioman to act. If there was a moment, when the attention of all three of these Hellbug spawn shtoka would be distracted, the moment was NOW.

The ashen hued giant launched himself onto the individual standing the closest to him; it was the Ark Raider Tommy. He delivered a punch to the back of the marauder's head, a punch so powerful it propelled him forward, causing to fall into the leader of the gang; Tommy went crashing into Clyde before the girl could be violated, upsetting his boss and causing the man to curse at him….

"HEY... YOU PIECE OF SHTAKO, WAIT YOUR TURN!"

Clyde was still unaware of what was happening… the leader was so focused on the task at hand he didn't realize that they were being attacked. However, the third man of their party, Dennis, did know that they were under attack. Dennis made a play for his weapon. Darby was on him in an instant….

With Clyde still focused on the girl, his pants still around his ankles, the leader was in no position to set up a defense….. Still, he remained unaware of what was going on.

Dennis was the second man to endure the Bioman's assault. Kennedy pounded his fist against the man's lower jaw. The raider was hit so hard that the punch sent teeth and blood flying every which way. His eyes rolled back into their sockets, and he was out of the fight before he hit the ground. At that moment Clyde realized that there was an intruder, and that he'd been caught in the act. He turned around to face the attacker and found that he was in the most compromising of positions; the most defenseless a man could be, under the circumstances.

"Butt nekkid", from the waist down, Clyde raised his hands into the air as he could see that the Bioman had gained Dennis' weapon, and was now pointing it at him.

"Who are you, what are you doing here," Clyde spoke, taken completely by surprise.

Darby had noticed several things in the blink of an eye. He had been trained to look for details. During the war he had been trained to look for anything that could assist the Earth Military Coalition, and that proved to be very useful in moments like this. He looked down at his body…..

"Isn't it obvious, "he answered, "I'm a Bioman, and I have a weapon pointed at your face."

Darby wasn't the type of fellow that usually made jest over a situation, but in the case, he would make an exception, he continued…..

"And secondly, your weapon doesn't seem to be of much threat, lying there in your pants around your ankles, and thirdly, your other weapon doesn't seem to be much of a threat either. I doubt that you would have done much harm to the girl."

Talk about taking the wind out of a guy's sails. Clyde didn't know whether he should feel more embarrassed…. by letting himself become ambushed, or feel more shame by the insult to his manhood. He hung his head down low.

"Now," Darby spoke, "turn around so that I can bind you."

*************************** Beauty & the Beast *****************************

After foiling their assault… and binding the three, would-be Ark Raiders, Darby turned around to look over at the Castthian woman…..she was sitting up, on her elbows, evidently she'd been watching him for some time, and had become subtly aware of what had happened.

Darby was taken aback by her beauty, even with the bump on her noggin he viewed her as the most exquisite looking sight he'd ever witnessed.

"I wish to thank you my friend, for saving me."

Her voice was like that of an angle, and the sight of her, her clothing draped across her soft shoulders, it almost resembled wings. The Bioman stood memorized; it wasn't often that the giant was caught with nothing to say, but this was a moment where time stood still. He finally got a couple words out…..

"Your name…?" He uttered, but remained under her spell. She looked at him.

"Tressa, Tressa of the House of….," her eyes went cold. Seems she could not remember her last title. She reached up and felt the bump on her head. Darby saw this.

"You have been injured Tressa, you may need a doctor. Can you remember anything else?"

"I remember hearing the alarm sound, and the voice alerting everyone to get into the Cryo-chambers. There were explosions going off on the other Arks, we had just enough time to reach the tubes and close the veils," she looked up at Darby, "that's all I know for now."

The Bioman could see the ridicules humor in it all. He, a few days ago, had been searching for a first name, something that would give him identity, now; here he was, in the presents of a beautiful creature who was looking for her last. Although he did not wish to return, he knew that there was a place where he could find her help. He spoke to Tressa…

"There's a place, down the way a bit, a place called Defiance. It is two days walk from here. I think that I can get you assistance there," he spoke. He began to help the pretty Castithan off of the table.

END PART 6


	7. Chapter 7

Defiance of the Many 7

"Stacking the Deck"

Author's note: Following the television media series, this chapter takes place just after episode (4), "A Well Respected Man". With Bioman (Ulysses) considered dead (can a Bioman endure sixteen bullets holes though his body and still live? I'm assuming that he can not), There are no other Biomen in Defiance, but that is only for a short while.

Anyhoo….This chapter takes place just after Darby and Tressa enter the town through Bissel Pass. At Bissel Pass, they are accosted by the sentinel guard (who've been placed in charge since the stasis net has been destroyed). The two pilgrims, in the beginning are refused admittance. However Tressa voices that she is an acquaintance of Stahma Tarr (is this a clue that Tressa is of the nobility of high society of the Castithan race?). Even though she can't recall her "House". The announcement of the name Stahma,"High Priestess" of the Castithan clan in Defiance, is impressive enough to allow Tressa, and her drone, admittance. Darby is impressed by his new elevation in status….Seems having Tressa as a companion is working out to his advantage. If not for the Castithan female at his side, he may have not been allowed back into the city. Sheriff Nolan has requested from the sentinels stationed at the pass, that they are to delayed each traveler warranting believable proof that they, in truth, are who they are (this order has not been sanctioned by the Mayor of Defiance, nor its town Council. But Nolan wants it enforced anyway. He is a bit of a rebel like that). Still, having what appears to be an "an ace in the hole", Darby (with Tressa next to him) can't but help strut through the town of Defiance as if he owned the place. However, he will be brought back to reality soon enough, Z.

*************************** Frankenstein *****************************

Joshua Nolan stood by the window inside the Lawkeeper's office of Defiance. He was sipping his morning brew while watching the ever increasing number of pedestrians cross his view on the street outside.

The steam and aroma coming off of his drink brought him back to his childhood, back to a time when he was a boy, reminding him of his father and mother. It wasn't often that he was able to think back to happier times, which made those memories much enjoyable. Suddenly he became aware of a giant of a man walking past his Law-Office window. Nolan recognized the beast strolling past the Law Office…..Kennedy.

"Monster," he whispered low, he heard someone stir behind him…..

"What was that?"

There was a woman sitting behind a desk, she was the one who'd asked the question. Irisa knew her father, and she knew that he did not speak aloud (even in low whispers), if there wasn't something of interest that had gathered his attention. Nolan turned to view his daughter.

"It's nothing," he spoke to the redheaded Irathian, "I was just thinking out loud," and then he returned his focus to the big ashen-hued giant walking outside. He took another sip of his brew, and then thought to himself…..

"Another Bioman, didn't we just empty the town of their kind a short time ago? Now here's another, only this one is taller, and in the company of a Castithan female, and a pretty one at that."

Nolan could envision trouble on the horizon. He had a feeling, the same kind of intuition he'd possessed during the war. He could see things….not like Irisa, but in a way that led him to experience a hunch, a noted gut-instinct that led him to believe that things were going to get interesting. He had trusted his gut to be correct during the war, and he trusted it now.

First of all, in his view, Biomen were not very credible. His opinion of the Bio-War-Machines had become tainted, prejudice by the horror stories he'd been told of how ruthless they could be during battle (and from the limited encounters he'd had with them). Granted, they did seem to have become more docile after the Pale Wars, but only because they were forced to. Their aggression had been contained, but only because they knew of the consequences of misconduct (execution or confinement in Vegas Prison, or both). Still, their unpredictability made folks fearful of their intentions, and their mood swings.

Nolan, as Lawkeeper, had felt that his hands had been tied when it came to the Bioman that was already in Defiance before he had arrived...Ulysses. Being that Ulysses had been a citizen of the city first, prior to his arrival, and under the protection of Datak Tarr, Nolan felt the genetic creation was beyond his control. But Kennedy, this Bioman was a newcomer to the territory, and without ties. The Lawkeeper felt that he had the upper hand in this warrior's regard. He could expel the Bioman and not have the fear of repercussions from the Castithan caste, or reprisals from Datak Tarr. Still, he felt irritated with having to deal with another problem, his plate was full already.

With the Defiance Council, Amanda Rosewater and Rafe McCawley, Nolan's life was a bit more troublesome than he cared for it to be, and the latest appointed member to the council, his friend, Datak Tarr, didn't add to his comfort. Add to the mix, Kenya, Amanda's sister, and Nolan's life seemed to have become more complicated than engineering an Ark-sphere. When it came to the desire of a simpler life, he and Irisa should have remained in the Badlands.

Nolan was well aware of the sarcasm of his thoughts. Still, sometimes he regretted taking the post of Defiance Lawkeeper, he wished to return to the ruggedness of the wastelands. Even with all its danger, in his view, it did seem a bit more peaceful out there, with less political shtako to deal with.

"What is it Nolan," Irisa questioned her father? Although she had the gift of "seeing", as she'd been shown by Sukar, sometimes it didn't seem as a gift at all, but more like a curse, like her father had implied, because sometimes it allowed you to see more than she wanted to. It caused her to have nightmares in her sleep. However, this was different, she just knew when something was bothering her father.

Nolan knew that his daughter couldn't read his thoughts. She may be gifted with the ability of "sight", but she could not read what was in his brain. However, like his intuition during the war, he knew, that she knew, when something was bothering him.

The new Law-Authority of Defiance had only been a Lawkeeper for a few weeks, and the pressure seemed to be increasing every day. He turned to look at Irisa...

"There's something I need to tend to," he said, "and the sooner, the better."

With this he walked out of the Law-Office, and although he hadn't asked, he knew his daughter followed closely behind.

*************************** Stacking the Deck *****************************

On the streets Nolan began searching for the Bioman…. and his Castithan partner. They were nowhere in sight. Yet, he knew that they couldn't have gone far. He began walking east, and within a couple of turns found them standing in front of a shop, confronted by Datak Tarr. The Defiance Lawkeeper strolled up to the group as if he'd been an invited guest.

"Oh Lawkeeper Nolan, how are you this fine morning." Datak Tarr turned to greet the sheriff as he made his approach. Nolan knew Datak was full of shtako, but took the greeting in stride. He knew that the Castithan enjoyed the company of the Law Authority of this town about as much as he enjoyed stepping in a pile of shtako.

"I'm fine Datak, how are you?" Although it pained him, Nolan continued with the pleasantries.

"Fine," the Castithan answered. Then Datak turned back to the girl, "I was just asking this nice young lady here who she was, her House, and also where she acquired this fine specimen of a Bioman," he paused, "being new in town she is someone I've never met before."

The Castithan, who was a major influence in the Hollows, and in Defiance proper for that matter, had a way with sarcastic politeness.

"OK, and what did you find out," Nolan asked?

Datka Tarr looked at him….

"Well, for the life of me she refuses to answer," he said, "as viewed, a local, getting to know a stranger in town has touched a nerve on the woman. I can't understand why my questions have received so little a response?"

Nolan looked at the Castithan woman. He could see in her eyes that there was more to the story than he was getting from Datak. Unknown to either man, the reality was that Tressa didn't recall her House, therefore she did not know if she were amongst friends or enemies. Silence…. or limited speech was the preferred rule to follow when one was being interrogated. And that was exactly what Tressa was feeling from Datak's questioning. She felt as if she were being interrogated, and even though she was suffering from a mild case of memory loss, she knew that she was above such interrogation. She would answer no questions, not until she was approached differently, or her brain had cleared, and maybe even then…she would refuse to answer his questions. She had Darby standing beside her, and with him, she felt safe. She knew, that with the Bioman standing beside her, Darby would not allow a hair on her head to be trifled. The connection she felt with the Bioman was beyond just acquaintance, it was written in the stars, almost literally.

"I'll handle this Datak," Nolan informed the new council member.

The Castithan male didn't like it, but he knew that it was the Lawkeeper's job, more over his, to gain answers from strangers. He decided that his informants could get the answers that he desired, at least by the end of the day. With that reasoning he bid them a fair-day and continued his walk back into the Hollows….

"Lawkeeper Nolan," Datak called as he walked away, "I expect an update on what you find with these strangers."

Datak knew he'd touched a nerve by seemingly giving Nolan an order; he moved to clarify his statement, although his motives were shallowly concealed.

"There's a council meeting this afternoon," he said, " I'm sure that Council Rosewater will want to know that there is a new Bioman about, she is the Mayor of this town as you know." With that the Castithan continued on his way. That last bit of Intel that Datak had uttered, was to remind Nolan that Amanda was his boss.

Nolan's eyes watched as Datak turned the corner and went out of sight. He returned his view to the woman.

"Sorry sheriff, "she began, "but he was a bit pushy."

Nolan gazed at the bump on her head, and then glanced over at the Bioman, her eyes followed his….

"My name is Tressa, and this injury on my head is something I inquired when my vessel came crashing down to Earth," she continued, "Darby saved me, and I owe him my life." Her eyes split to where Datka Tarr had disappeared around the street corner. Although Datak was Castithan, like herself, she didn't trust him, she moved to offer the assistance of her Bioman in helping the Lawkeeper.

"Darby is a good man," she said, "and would likely make a good addition as deputy to your town. He has the utmost of morals, and by impression alone can can be intimidating, He can eliminate half the issues that may plague this town, just by appearance alone. "

Nolan considered her proposition, but not seriously….

"Well, we'll see," he stated, "first you need to get to Doc Yewll's office, and see about that wound."

"I know the way," Darby spoke. It was the first time he'd uttered a word. Nolan stepped aside to let them continue on their path. He didn't know if he should feel grateful, or if he had welcomed more trouble?

Irisa walked up and stood next to her father.

"You know it couldn't hurt," she spoke, "a Bioman as deputy. You could keep a closer eye on him as well."

Nolan looked down at his daughter…

"What? You beginning to like the color blue or something," he gave her that Joshua Nolan smile. She punched her father in the arm.

"Stacking the Deck", Nolan thought to himself, "a Seer, a Bioman, and Tommy Lasalle, along with a host of other deputies to guard over this town. That may just give him the boost he needed to claim the advantage."

"Datak Tarr my friend,' Nolan spoke aloud, "you are about to get trumped," he smiled.

Irisa, still standing there smiled…she knew what her father meant.

END PART 7


	8. Chapter 8

Defiance of the Many 8

"Culture Clashes & House Rules"

Author's note: Customs, tradition and manipulation are things we've always had to deal with, then there's that old cliché, which goes, why… "Can't We All Just Get Along?"

*************************** A Deputy of Defiance *****************************

Joshua Nolan was sitting at his desk in the Law Office of the town of Defiance. He was going over paperwork and filling out reports from the day before. The Mayor, Amanda Rosewater, had a desire for her sheriff to keep her posted on the activities of her town. There was a meeting of the town council that afternoon, included on the agenda…. were the illegal dealings, illicit affairs, and crimes in its communities.

Any future term, as Mayor, may depend on Rosewater's understanding of the town's problems, and also what she advised as cure.

Lawkeeper Nolan... was sure that she would want an update on the condition of the city, and its outlying communities (he still hadn't told her that, with the absence of the stasis net, he was manning Bissel Pass with deputies, and their orders were to screen the influx of travelers coming in), not that it was a big secret, but it was need to know, and he was sure that in time, she would find out soon enough.

Nolan was...NOW...,thinking, how different things were on this planet before the votans had arrived. And how things had changed from just a half century ago…. with the crimes being committed, theft, burglary, and the illicit use of drugs in the Hollows…..he reconsidered his thought,well, maybe things weren't that different after all.

Just then a young, mixed-breed came rushing through the door, nearly out of breath, he spoke as if the world was about to end.

"Lawkeeper, you have to come to the "Need/Want"…. and quickly!"

"What is it Toby?"

Nolan knew this kid, and knew that he had a skill for creating the extreme, of elevating events past the scope of what they really were. When something happened in Defiance, Toby was usually a witness to it, and he had a talent for embellishing a story to his satisfaction (the boy who cried wolf). Maybe as an adult, one day, he would grow up to become a fiction writer, who could tell, Nolan smiled. Whatever was happening…..? Likely wasn't a cosmic calamity.

Toby again voiced his excitement…..

"A fight, down at the club, Rupert and Ox are at odds on who's turn next it is in Kenya's bed!"

So, there was a brawl down at the Need/Want, like that didn't happen fifty times a day, or as if fights weren't a regular occurrence in the city, or at any establishment, or even out in the dust of the street for that matter. Nolan looked over at his deputy….

"Tommy, head over to the "Need/Want", tell these boys that if they can't settle this issue peacefully, that the next bed they may find themselves in might be the one behind the bars of a prison cell."

Tommy swallowed hard. Although he was a good man, and an excellent employee, he preferred the simple resolve of scolding jaywalkers, or writing tickets to citizens who urinated on merchants' walls, in broad daylight, can you imagine? The Sheriff looked at the man; he knew his Deputy was nervous about having to deal with issues that may turn out to become more physical, especially with men that were much bigger than himself. Nolan decided to add a little incentive to spur him along…..

"Want me to have Irisa go with you, 'case you need back-up?"

Nolan spoke these words in somewhat of a comical tone; he looked over at his daughter (who was smiling at him while she cooked eggs over the jailhouse "Hot Table"). Nolan's intuition and Irisa's ability to "see" didn't need to be used to express what each was thinking, the giggles in their eyes said it all.

Tommy, embarrassed, with the obvious jest in the Lawkeeper's manner, registered that they were testing his "low hangers" (testacies if you will), to see if he could handle this duty alone. Of course he'd always used Lawkeeper Clancy to help him handle this kind of misconduct. Garret Clancy had never cut the umbilical cord with Tommy, never allowing him to seize the moment for himself. This had allowed the Deputy to remain insecure. Although Clancy had been like a father to Lasalle, he had never pushed him from the nest; Tommy was paying for that insecurity now.

"I can handle it," he spoke to Nolan, then looking at Irisa, "alone," he began walking towards the door. In the entryway he was stopped by the Sheriff….

"Tommy," Nolan spoke before the Deputy could exit the Law Office, "you do have a firearm belted at your side," Tommy moved his hand down to his side. He felt the comfort of the weapon snug against his hip. His eyes flashed as he looked at Nolan…. and in them registered the confidence he needed to control this situation, his confidence seemed to be uplifted a bit.

"Now, that being said, "the Lawkeeper spoke, "you don't have to use bullets," Nolan grinned, "the butt end of a pistol grip works just as well as a nightstick, get my point?"

Of course Tommy understood, he wasn't a dummy, just a little apprehensive is all.

*************************** Spiders & Snakes *****************************

With Tommy on his way to resolve a petty dispute between rivals, Nolan got back to his paperwork. Irisa came and sat across the desk from her father. She had also brought him a plate of eggs.

"You may want to eat first and save the paperwork for later," she stated, "you're about to get another visitor." Irisa smiled at Nolan, Lawkeeper of the town of Defiance. He closed the journal that he'd had his nose buried in, and waited for what was coming next (when his daughter gave him a heads-up like this, he had learned to heed her advice). In less than four minutes an Indogene arrived at the entrance to the Lawkeepers' Office. The Indogene's name, Ovtac, and Nolan recognized him as assistant to Doc Yewll.

"Good day Marshal," he spoke, "Doc Yewll requests your appearance at the infirmary," he informed them, "no hurry, it just involves a Castithan and a Bioman," he announced.

In fifteen minutes Nolan was at the building and in the recovery unit where the doctor was seeing to her current patient. He approached the good doctor….

"You requested my presents?"

Doc Yewll looked at the man….

"I did, seems there's a woman here wanting to speak with you." The doctor drew back a curtain and the sheriff of Defiance could see a pretty female sitting there, a Castithan.

"Hello Marshal," the woman began, "I bet you'd thought you'd not see me so soon," she said.

"Well," Nolan began, "I wouldn't have bet a new roller on it, but….." He could think of nothing else smart to say…

"What have you got for me?"

The woman sitting there smiled.

"Well, time for getting down to brass tacks, as Darby informs me is an old saying on your Earth," she began, "or, getting down to script, if you prefer. Darby, my Bioman is sitting outside in the lounge."

Nolan knew this, he had witnessed the Bioman before entering the room, the girl continued…

"What you may not be aware of is that soon he will be approached, within the timeslot of a day or two, by a pillar of the community, Datak Tarr, or maybe one of his associates " Tressa stopped to see if the Sheriff was following her line of Intel, he seemed to have a good handle on what she was implying, she continued….

"Anyway rumor tells that he is a man of influence, of high ranking in this town. Just to let you know, he will offer my Bioman a job, a bid for his services, seems that his earlier model was put down for some reason, an event that was beyond his control. My request from you is that you offer Darby a job first. Darby Kennedy is a gentle giant, whatever he had done, during the war (Tressa was aboard her Ark, before and during the conflict, so she was still not completely up-to-date on what had transpired), he has learned to control. However, I have seen him in action, and I know that he will serve as a benefit to your law office. What say you offer him a job, get him on the right side of the law, opposite to the other, not saying that I'm referring to Datak as a crook or anything."

She felt the top of her head; the injury she had incurred seemed to be mending well. She offered more to the scenario…..

"Soon I'm to be released, at which point Darby and I will be in the procure for lodging. I do have some things of value that we can use for trade, but that will not last long. We will need script, and whether my Bioman, Mr. Darby Kennedy, works for you, or whether he works for Datak Tarr, either way he has to earn so that we can eat, shelter, and live. What say he works for you, and you gain yourself a big blue deputy?"

Nolan could see that this woman was no meek natured creature (she'd assumed the role of a black widow, and was not to be trifled with). She knew how to manipulate the folk around her, how to plan for her future. Stahma Tarr may be a snake, but this woman was a spider (maybe she and Stahma were kin somewhere down the line?), still, she had a point. He was being forced to take her offer under heavy consideration.

*************************** Culture Clashes & House Rules *****************************

Amanda Rosewater sat at the head of the Defiance Council. The committee had been discussing the business of the Mag Rail, and the consequences of allowing the New Earth Republic into the influence of their circle, and other issues had been under consideration as well. Levies had been reached on some of the issues, while others had been postponed for future discussion. Now, the Mayor had a surprise for the Council, a notable individual who would be allowed entry as a guest, a member of Defiance society, yet still one that all of them knew.

Mayor Rosewater stood and went to the door (which had been closed for the Council session). She opened it and there stood a man that everyone was familiar with, yet many of the Council would never have asked to diner... if they had their druthers of course.

Lawkeeper Nolan entered the room. In politeness he greeted everyone that was present.

"Sorry for taking up a bit of the Councils precious time," he began, "but I was informed early this morning that I should report the importance of two strangers that have entered into our mists. A Castithan named Tressa, and a Bioman named Darby Kennedy," Nolan looked directly at Datak when speaking these words.

"It has been brought to my attention that when newcomers enter the town, newcomers such as these, the Mayor should be notified and their present not kept a secret. So here I am, as advisor to the board. These are good people and should not be witnessed as vagrants. They can be seen as future assets to the community, as individuals that can help us in our endeavor to retain independence."

Datak Tarr looked at the Sheriff….

"Yes, thank you Lawkeeper Nolan. I have met these two individuals, and being that they may be in need of a place to stay I will send a Currier to them, and offer my assistance. I may even offer employment to the bigger one of the two, being that I lost my Bioman a short time ago."

Nolan remembered the bout he'd had that first night in Defiance. the fight where he'd had to defeat the Bioman. Nolan recalled the script Datak had stolen from him (and Irisa) after his successful bout with Ulysses.

"No need for you to offer the guy a job Datak, I've already done so. He is new on the list of appointed Deputies of this town."

Datak was shocked, as were the other of members of the board. Datak moved to refute this appointment.

"You can't hire a Bioman for civic duty, especially one who is a stranger in town. We don't know of his moral behavior, or of his stability. He could have a cache of dead bodies buried in a mass grave just outside of town; you can't change the rules on a whim just to suit you."

Nolan had prepared for Datak's rebuttal, and had established a rebuttal of his own.

"This spoken from someone who changed the rules on me in less than a minute, and allowed a Bioman, under his employ, to beat the shtako out of a stranger his first night in town," Nolan spoke. Some of the Council folk were aware of what the sheriff was talking about, but some were not. That didn't sway Nolan from finishing his statement.

"You may be of residence in the Hollows Datak, and can change the guidelines to suit you down there, but Defiance is my House, and my House exercises its right to substitute, and that my friend may prescribe a substitution of the rules…..at any time I see fit. Kennedy is under my employ now; I've already cleared it with Mayor Rosewater, so just to let you know, this business is under the table, and has been concluded." Nolan sat back with his arms folded and with a smile well established upon his face.

END PART 8


	9. Chapter 9

Defiance of the Many 9

"Rumors"

Rumors are what thou shall hear, and rumors are what thou shall heed,

For some rumors uttered may come to pass, and ignoring them may be costly indeed.

*************************** Arthur's note *****************************

Giving Darby a little more page time this chapter, the Biomen of the "Defiance" Universe have always seemed to me that they need their own story. Hope to scratch your interest a bit, Z.

*************************** Rumors *****************************

Rumors of rumors of rumors….rumors of war, well, maybe not war, but of an impending battle…..

It seems that when the people of Defiance had defeated the Volge, during the battle of Bissel Pass, they had hastened to celebrate their victory too soon. Seems now, in their hurry to declare the Volge defeated, the leadership of the town had not sent out mop-up crews to secure the town's victory. Of course the defenders of Defiance were not soldiers, trained warriors that Nolan was commanding, they'd done well just to step up and stand with courage as it were. However, the battle may have not been a true defeat for the volge, if may have only been a setback for the invading foe.

Many of the aggressive voltan and their war machines had been destroyed. Their bodies and armor littered the battlefield; however, not all were killed. Rumor had it that some had escaped, and gone back to their place of origin to lick their wounds and reorganize. Word had come through Bissel Pass that there was another army assembling in the Badlands a few miles away from town, an encampment of volge survivors.

Amanda Rosewater was experiencing one of her worse fears, the fear of losing the town under her watch. She consulted with the council and the law authority of Defiance. A decision was reached, and that decision was not to inform the citizens of the impending threat, well not for the moment at least, after all, it was only a rumor, and it would do little good for the council to start a panic. She would take Nolan aside, and ask advice from the Lawkeeper.

Nolan looked at the Mayor of the town…..

"Well, right now it's only hearsay, some pilgrim coming through Bissel Pass and launching a rumor without proof. Still, it wouldn't hurt to prepare a little bit, check on the defenses around the city. When did it cost someone to be prepared for war? In actuality, it likely has cost people a lot more who weren't prepared for it."

"Thanks for relaxing me," Amanda announced to her sheriff, in a fraction of a sarcastic tone, however not one voiced with an overabundance of sarcasm. She knew that he was only doing his job, and the best he could. Still, she had let him know that he had not relaxed her worry.

"Sorry," he smiled.

"Well, what do you advise," her question was direct and pointed?

This discussion was taking place between just the two of them. Nolan studied his boss…..

"Let me send Darby to the sentry post at Bissel Pass. He can check with other travelers entering the town and see if any have witnessed the same thing. Being an ex-soldier and a veteran of the Pale Wars, Kennedy will know what to do, and he'll get word back to the town soon enough for us to think of something."

Then the Lawkeeper eyebrows dipped as he looked at the Mayor….

"Have any idea when the net will be repaired?"

She looked at him…..

"The techs are working on it, that's all I can tell you," she answered.

*************************** Bissel Pass *****************************

Darby Kennedy looked through the window of the sentry post at the half dozen travelers wanting to enter through the main avenue of Bissel Pass. They were shocked seeing the big blue Bio-giant stationed as guard to the entrance of Defiance. He frightened some of them almost to the point where they considered turning away, heading back into the Badlands. Better to take their chances out in the unknown, then to face what they'd heard about these creatures. Of course they didn't do this, but they did not linger around the station longer then they had to.

One of the Bioman's cohorts was asking this group some questions, seeing if any of them had witnessed a volge gathering a short distance away from Defiance (just as had been rumored by another traveler the day before). They all answered in the negative. Darby was beginning to consider that the rumor was a hoax. First of all, although the Lawkeeper had combed the bars and brothels, there had been no sign of anyone who had started the rumor, no party to interrogate. Likely it was just someone wanting to stir trouble.

Although these folk looked tattered and torn, he supposed it was the sentinel's duty to question them anyway. During the half day he'd spent at the gate, Darby had witnessed sixteen people enter the city, and there was still no clue as to if the rumor had merit.

It wasn't hard to gain access to Defiance. The guards were only there to deter undesirables from coming through the Pass. He had never questioned why he had been stopped from entering the city, a Bioman come to town with a Castithan female? That rained suspicion no doubt; still, Tressa had used her Mojo to gain entrance, and her connections to Stahma Tarr had opened the gate. Still, he remained with question about that relationship.

Anyway, there were two more travelers coming down the pass. They were but fifty yards away. Robert stopped them as they approached, he spoke with them. It was then that the big Bioman saw the deputy turn and look in his direction, there was a bit of pause in his eyes.

Darby exited the sentry post; he went over to the two men.

Robert Vega, one of the deputies manning the station with Kennedy turned to speak with the big Bioman.

"This guy says that HE has seen an encampment of volge, six miles southwest of here, looks to be a small Company."

Darby cast eyes upon the gentleman….

"Your trade…?"

"Ark Hunter, we were out in the forest about ten clicks to the southwest, came upon a quarry where a contingent of volge looked to be gearing up for war."

"Their numbers…?"

"Looked to be about a hundred, but me and Jed here didn't stick around to count."

"Heavy weapons….?"

"There looked to be two, couldn't say if there were more, like I said, we didn't stick around."

Darby had finished his questioning. The men were released to enter the town. The big Bioman turned to the guard standing next to him….

"Robert, go fetch Gains, the three of us are going on a little patrol. We'll leave Wayne and Kenneth here to man the gate while we scout that quarry. The sooner we get what Intel we can manage back to Defiance, the better."

With that the men began to gear up, and pray that they didn't get caught.

END PART 9


	10. Chapter 10

Defiance of the Many 10

"Respect & Responsibility"

*************************** Responsible *****************************

"Responsible", how many times had Darby Kennedy heard that word spoken to him on the battlefield, one thousand, maybe two? During the Pale Wars he had become accustomed to hearing it…

"Kennedy, you are responsible for taking that hill! Kennedy, you are responsible for making sure those men come back alive! Kennedy, you are responsible…!"

The big Bioman had been responsible for many things, now it seemed that he had become responsible for gaining information that would lead Sheriff Joshua Nolan, Lawkeeper of the town of Defiance, to the truth….the truth about the rumors of a volge encampment not far outside the city of Defiance.

Now, as of this point, Darby was considered to be a part of law enforcement of the town, having been deputized by the Lawkeeper, Sheriff Joss Nolan himself. Kennedy was being used, used for his combat experience; the Sheriff of Defiance was bilking the goliath to his advantage. The big blue man was providing service as fulcrum, as leverage, and just as Darby's companion, Tressa, had stated, by his size alone, the big Bioman was a deterrent to crime. He had already derailed several issues which concerned the rowdy and disorderly of the town (the town with the big arch), that alone had proven his worth. Now he had been tasked with something a bit bigger, finding the truth to the volge rumors.

Darby was an impressive beast, as impressive as anyone had seen. However, the big blue giant hated that he was viewed in this manner. He would have much preferred to be seen as just a regular man, but the scientist, of the old Earth Republic, had not been instructed to create their war machines in that way. The Bio-gen were, in a sense, cultured to be hardcore and cold, and this was one of the reasons, after the war, for their not being accepted or trusted in the communities.

Kennedy, along with the other Hu-Gen, were considered to be monsters, and although he could be ruthless and callous, in his chest was held the beating heart of a tamed lion, a lion that could reason… and even be compassionate. It would take much work for the Bioman to convince the citizen of Defiance to see him other than a war product, however, with the position that he currently held, as deputy, and with the help of Tressa, he hoped that one day he would become accepted.

Darby gathered his wits, it was time for him to prove to this town that he was more than just a machine created to destroy, that he was a living, breathing human being, a person with a soul. Maybe this was the instrument he could use to prove to the town council that they need not be afraid of him, that they needn't look at him with vagrant eyes. His intention was to remain in Defiance; he wanted to create a life for himself, and to stay in a place where he and Tressa could explore their relationship. That was his new goal; Darby wanted a family…..

The big Bioman began looking around for the other deputies that were stationed at Bissel Pass.

*************************** Respect *****************************

Kennedy was more determined than ever to show his metal (his worth) in the task he'd been instructed to complete by Lawkeeper Nolan. He was convinced that this duty would gain him the respect that he so desired, the respect that, as an ex-coalition fighter, he felt that he had honorably deserved.

However, humans were an erratic and fickle race, just when someone thought that they had provided a service... and thought that they would be accepted among the mortals with open arms, the doors closed upon their ass quickly, and they remained an outsider.

Darby gathered two men to him…..

"Robert, you and Gains (Robert Vega & Gains Harvey) will accompany me to the quarry that was mentioned by the two travelers which they say contains the volge assembly….we will leave Dickerson and Wills here to man the post. Get your gear and drive the roller up so that we can begin our mission."

Darby didn't mince words; he was usually direct and to the point, Vega did as he was directed. Soon the three men were in the Badlands, beyond the safely of the guard-post at Bissel Pass. They were traveling at a good click, Darby wanting to take full advantage of the remaining daylight to complete this mission. The Bioman was happy that the roller provided to the guard station at Bissel Pass was a vehicle which had been stripped of its doors; there were no hinged obstructions to the cabin, both driver and passenger doors had been removed to allow quick access into the roller, allowing unimpeded entrance into, or exiting the vehicle. This allowed the big man extra room to stretch out his right leg (he didn't feel so cramped). He was traveling in the passenger seat; Vega was the driver, and Harvey was in the rear seat with the equipment that assumed needed for their task. Gains Harvey had the communication works (Hailer), grenades, extra ammo and a few other choice items. Darby looked over at the driver of the roller, he considered Vega the most trusted of the two who were on this mission besides himself. He looked back at the man in the rear seat…..

"What does the map say Gains?"

"Says here sir that there is no such thing as a quarry in this area, closest thing I can come to that explains what the informant said at Bissel Pass is a place called "Rodman's Canyon", looks like it fits the description to a "T"."

Darby looked at his driver…..

"Robert, set the GPS to *Rodman Canyon*," he told the man in the driver's seat.

"No need to do that Sir," Vega stated, "we're there already."

Robert threw the vehicle into park alongside some trees and boulders. Darby looked around, but it didn't seem to him that they were anywhere close to an enemy encampment.

"So where are the volge?"

Vega looked at the Deputy...

"I told Gains to give us some distance Sir,' Robert informed the big Bio-man, "told him to give us a half mile before we reached Rodman Canyon. They likely have sentries out Sir, to guard their position; I'd say several hundred yards. I think it's safer if we approach from a distance."

Darby could see the logic in that….

"Excellent choice Robert," Darby spoke, "remind me to request for you a commendation for you from the Lawkeeper once we get back to Bissel Pass. Your forward thinking is a value that may help in the success of this mission,"

Both Vega and Harvey looked at one another….they grinned.

"Pardon my sarcasm Sir," Vega said, "commendations may have been a thing of the Pale Wars, but NOW however, here in the real world, metals, merit and acts of valor are things we do every day. A pat on the back is what we're accustomed to. Just knowing that you've done your job and that you will be employed tomorrow is commendation enough. Doing so is worth merit alone, a commendation that will feed my family and will offer my children descent schooling…..but if you're willing to promote some extra juju for me from Lawkeeper Nolan….well then Sir, I think that the gods should smile favorably upon your blue colored ass," Vega froze for a moment, maybe he had stepped outside the boundaries of presented protocol?

The Big Blue giant of a man looked at his deputy, a big blue grin crossed his face….

"How could anyone argue with that," Darby spoke.

Although Vega and Harvey were just deputies of Defiance, deputies that had met with favor of the day from Kennedy, their "spirit" had grown on him. Comradely and affection weren't emotions new to the Bio-man, but mostly they had been reserved for the Gen like himself. Kennedy had never felt emotions towards people, but with these two, Vega and Harvey (Vega in particular) were beginning to tug on his heartstrings. He felt a sense of responsibility for these two men... there was that word again, "Responsible", he began to feel responsible for the safety of Vega and Harvey… even at the risk of his own life.

Darby was ready to complete this mission. To finish it and report back to Joss Nolan. Once the vehicle came to a complete stop the Bio-man exited. It was apparent that they had little time, that the task would have to be done in a favorable fashion.

It was becoming late afternoon, only hours before the sun would set and the nighttime creatures would emerge from the forest. They'd better do their recon quickly, and be gone soon, or who could say what dangers they would face?

Darby steadied himself for the task at hand...

END CHAP 10

Below the line…

Listened to Imagine Dragons "Demons" when writing this chapter…..


	11. Chapter 11

Defiance of the Many 11

"Wildlands"

*************************** Is Anyplace Safe? *****************************

"So, what do you think," Robert Vega asked Darby as he, and the others lay in hiding behind some bushes at the edge of "Rodman's Canyon". From their vantage point there could be seen no movement in the canyon below.

"I think they skipped town," Gains Harvey said, "….took their ass-whipping and got the hell outta Dodge?"

"Hardy," Darby answered. "The volge may not be the smartest votan on the planet, but they aren't cowards, and they don't run away because they've been spanked. They wouldn't haul-tail after a defeat, no matter how one-sided the battle had been. They are fighters, and will continue an attack down to the last man, I know, I faced them enough times during the war."

Darby studied the situation….

"If we're not seeing them here, then perhaps we're in the wrong spot, or the informants were mistaken, or we've been hoodwinked."

Robert looked over at the lead Deputy in this endeavor….

"Well I can tell you that it isn't the first two," he began, "…this canyon is the only area outside of town big enough to hide an army of that size. A Company of one hundred volge and their equipment, their encampment would have to be in a secluded area like this. Otherwise they would have been spotted long before now. My vote says we've been taken for a ride."

Darby and Gains were in agreement….for whatever reason, the rumors behind an impending volge attack were just that, rumors. Why someone would want to start such a lie was the question; however it was not there major concern at the moment. What was considered priority, was getting back to the roller, and getting back to Bissel Pass with their information.

The three began to exit the area, being not as stealthy as they had been when they'd arrived. Still, they weren't making the thunderous noise of an Arkfall. Their exit needed to be speedier that their approach, being that the roller had been set some distance away and there was plenty of ground to cover before they reached their vehicle, time was ticking away.

With the back-pack and equipment beginning to hinder his movement, Vega began to lag behind. He and Gains weren't use to long hikes out in the wilderness, but Darby was. The big Bioman had spent many a walk out in the Badlands, and was likely in better shape than the other deputies, or any individual residing in Defiance for that matter. When they got back Darby may try to convince Lawkeeper Nolan that his deputies needed to be put on a regular exercise routine. Of course that wouldn't gain him any more popular with his comrades, but the way Darby saw it, it was better to be in good physical condition then dead.

At that moment there was something heard in the bushes just outside the eyesight of the three men. Gains began to speak but Kennedy cautioned him to remain quiet.

"Ark Rats," Harvey questioned silently?

"Ark Rats, Mole Worms or Saberwolves, take your pick," the Bioman answered.

Gains was only ten steps behind the giant of a man, but when they looked back for Robert he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where…..?"

Darby's forehead wrinkled as he looked at the man standing only a few feet away from him. Gains Harvey only shrugged his shoulders in reply, seems that they had lost track of their companion.

"I'll go back and get him," Gains spoke.

"Well, be quiet and quick about it," Darby told him, "it'll be dark soon, and it isn't a good idea to be stuck out in the Badlands after the sun goes down. There are things worse than the fore mentioned, and aren't nearly as friendly as Saberwolves out here," he finished.

Harvey understood, he slipped silently back to find his friend, in less than twenty seconds he was out of the Bioman's sight. Darby waited, and he waited, and he began thinking that it was taking an awful long time, but maybe he was just becoming impatient. He then he heard a blood curdling scream…..and it wasn't an animal who's shouts were echoing off the hardwood trees, this had been a human scream…..

"Gains, Robert!" Darby called, but there was no answer. He pulled his weapon from his holster and began running in the direction of the shouts. When he arrived in an area fifty yards to the rear, ground already traversed, he was stunned by what he saw….

Vega was on his back on the ground, a Saberwolf straddling him with its teeth bared and a terrible growl escaping from its throat. In its mouth was clutched Vega's back-pack….it was the only thing saving him from being eaten alive. His right leg, below the knee, had been shredded; the red blood splattered all the way up to his crotch. He was screaming franticly. Darby looked around and saw that Gains had reached his partner, but had been ambushed from behind. His body was shredded into a million pieces and there were three Saberwolves gorging over the banquet. The Bioman felt sick, he had not witnessed such carnage since wartime. He lifted his firearm and leveled the weapon at the animal attacking Vega. The first blast took the wolf down, it dropped dead right on top of the man. His second and third shots took out two more wolves, but the third was on him before he could again squeeze the trigger. Darby was knocked backwards and to the ground, but he shoved his sidearm into the beast's mouth to fend off its attack, and then with his right hand retrieved a long, ten inch blade, a blade he'd acquired from a dead Spirit rider. He shoved the blade into the animal's gut, and pushed with the strength of ten regular men, it went in deep, and the animal screamed in pain. Its eyes growing wide as it realized that it was under attack as well. Darby withdrew the knife…. but plunged it back again deep, choosing the creature's rib-cage this time. Again and again he struck, keeping the pistol wedged between it snarling fangs. It attempted to use its saber like appendages, but the big blue man dodged these blows….. pushing them aside. In time the beast's eyes began to fade, the light of its life slowly draining away as the angry fire, which had been contained within them, began to ebb. Soon it fell dead, covering the Bioman with what seemed to be with the weight of fifteen sandbags. It was about to crush his chest, but Darby pushed the beast off of him. He rushed over to Robert; the man's wounds were terrible. He gathered the Defiance deputy up in his arms and began to sprint back to where he knew the roller was harbored.

The distance was a few hundred yards, however the two made it back without incident. There had been no other attacks by Saberwolves. Darby placed Vega in the passenger seat; he bound his wound with a tourniquet then reached into the injured man's shirt pocket to acquire the metal turn-stick that would start the engine. This retrieved he began to move towards the diver side of the vehicle. He reached down to feel for his sidearm (which he had holstered after the attack of the Saberwolf) however it was gone.

Darby began to look around. It was getting dark, but in the remaining light he saw a glint of steel as he noticed that he'd dropped the weapon only thirty yards from the roller, he made a play to retrieve it. Once he'd gained the weapon, and it was back in the confinement of his holster, Darby began to return to the roller.

At that time he heard something in the trees behind him; he withdrew the pistol and turned quickly, ready to blast the first creature that met his eyes. There was nothing there? If there were Saberwolves about, they were keeping their distance. Then he heard a sound to the left, then the right. What was tracking him if it were not the hairy beasts? He heard something behind him hit the roller; he turned but could see nothing. He sprinted towards the vehicle but found no trace of any animals.

He entered the cab and took his place behind the steering wheel. Inside he turned to check on Robert's condition before starting the engine. He noticed blood on the man's shirt where there had been none before; he looked up into the Deputy's face and noticed that he was not breathing. Something hit the hood of the roller just in front of him; it left a gaping hole the size of a peach in the hood. Just then Darby felt a sting on his cheek and heard something hit the metal toe-board of the roller just below his seat. He looked down and saw an iron shard embedded in the vehicle frame. He pulled it out; the metal fragment was as sharp as glass.

"Razor Rain….."

The words had slipped past his lips almost before he realized that he'd said them. The sound of the deadly projectiles entering the treetops and storming down through the leaves and branches brought him back to reality. The intensity of the razor storm was just beginning, he needed to find a safer place of refuge and quickly. A roller wasn't the idea place to be during a razor storm, the shards would rip the vehicle and his body to pieces. Darby looked around; there was a small cave in a bluff of rocks not fifteen feet away from the roller. He turned back and unbuttoned Robert's shirt, sure enough there shard of metal embedded in the man's chest, dead center of the heart, he was already gone. At that moment the rain became heavier, if the big Bioman didn't act quickly there would be nothing left of him to be found.

*************************** Epilogue *****************************

Early the next morning Sheriff Noland was again looking out of the window from his Lawkeeper's office. He noticed the figure of someone as they walked in front of the window, and he recognized that figure as the individual named Tressa. Nolan regretted the news that would have to tell the young Castithan woman.

He had sent her companion out the day before to post sentinel duty at the Bissel Pass station. On a tip from travelers Darby had taken it upon himself to launch an investigation into the wastelands, now he, and two others were missing. The Sheriff had made attempts to contact the scouting party with the "hailer" they were carrying, but to no avail, there was no return signal. The Lawkeeper had sent out a search crew for the missing men, but as of this moment, nothing had been found. He turned from the window and returned to his desk, on his face was contained a look of dread.

END PART 11


	12. Chapter 12

Defiance of the Many 12

"Chances"

Arthur's note: DotM chap 12 "Chances" describes the chances that people take (both human & alien) to ensure their survival, the survival of loved ones, or the things performed to get ahead. Sometimes these "Chances" work out to our benefit, sometimes they do not. Sorry it took so long; hope that readers enjoy this chapter, Z

*************************** Chances *****************************

Joshua Nolan was raised by parents of faith….yet can you imagine his shock (and that of the world) that fateful day when the Votan arrived and we learned that we were not the only living souls in the universe.

Still, what has that to do with faith, or one losing his or her belief? Joshua Nolan had fought in many a devastating battle in the "Pale Wars", and had advanced in rank rapidly during the course of the war. He had witnessed many a sickening sight during battle, his eyes having beheld massacre on a frightening scale. It was enough to have drained the faith of a lesser human being, but through it all Nolan had kept his. There had been a time or two when he'd felt it slipping away, but never had it totally left him. Nolan was not a religious man, but he did believe in something more…..

There is an old saying, a saying spoken by folk who've witness the horrors of combat, "War is Hell"…..this was exactly how Joshua Nolan, the soldier, felt. What with witnessing the many fallen men and women who'd severed with him, war was surely hell; therefore, there must be a heaven.

Still, it was his duty to fight, to conquer, and to devastate the enemy, and he meant to do that duty well, to the best of his ability. Blood and carnage had begun to make him hollow inside, devoid of emotion, and this made him fearful, fearful that one day he would lose his soul. There was a name for it, a scientific term, something dreamed up by the doctors who worked on effected soldiers who'd seen too much, however that word escaped him now. When a soldier witnesses an overload of carnage and guts for too long they become an empty shell, sometimes forfeiting their soul.

Nolan had been on the verge of this happening to him, when…

He found a young alien child, a girl, a child so vulnerable that she had fallen hopelessly into the arms of a waiting soldier. That soldier had been him, he had adopted her as his own. This had helped him retain his sanity, and kept him inspired in his belief, a belief that held fast to the judgment that living was not about war but about purpose, and that purpose, for him now, was to be the father of a child who'd become orphaned in battle.

Irisa…..

Irisa knew nothing of war at the time of her parents' death. She only knew that she had been handed over to an Indogene, an Indogene who had convinced her mother and father that she was special, that she was beyond just an average Irathient girl. However there was a ritual that needed to be performed, something that would force she true nature to come out. Irisa had considered it torture, the pain, the suffering. She had tried to block it from her mind, but she couldn't push it all the way out, then she remembered the human soldiers, the men coming in and taking control, they had saved her, still, she had nightmares.

Be that as it may, after the war, with her new father, Irisa felt safe and at peace, well somewhat. Her adoptive father, Nolan, had a talent for finding trouble. He was like a bloodhound; he could smell it from miles away, yet never did he run from danger, he embraced it. It was one of the faults that she knew her father had…

There were many things that remained disturbing to Irisa, but Nolan's promise that they could find a better life in Antarctica had kept the young Irathient girl's emotions in-check. Well, that was before Nolan had immersed them into the "Defiance" law-keeping role.

Before, the man and his daughter had been labeled as Arkhunters, transients, Badland scavengers always on the hunt for their next meal, or their next paycheck. However, with their introduction into a society that was stable (?), the ex-9th Brigade soldier (of the Iron Demons) could see that here was a chance to introduce his daughter to influential women.

Nolan had an underlying fear that, as a man, he could not provide his daughter with the proper female influence, and, that lack of influence may warp her somehow in her later years (after all, how many fathers raise a daughter that could, with a throw of her blade, could cut off the legs of a mushroom beetle at twenty paces?). Every woman needed a mother, or in this case…at least an older sister, just as every boy should have the influence of a proper father, or big brother).

Irisa wasn't sure, but she believed that Nolan may be looking to Mayor Rosewater to fill that void, maybe not as mother, but as older sister. She felt hesitate in telling him that it wouldn't work. She wanted to say that she didn't need to be schooled in the regards of female role models, at least human ones. Still, she could put up with her father's guilt over the matter for a while….. after all Nolan was a man, and didn't understand that women, especially Irathient women, could progress just fine without another female present. What Irisa desired most, was to get to Antarctica. That had been, and still was, her priority, her goal.

*************************** Just Another Day *****************************

The day had started just as any other day in the town of Defiance, unpredictable.

Nolan stood by the front window of the Lawkeeper's Office sipping his morning brew.

He had received word from the security crew at Bissel Pass that a scouting team, led by Deputy Darby Kennedy the day before, had left to investigate rumors of a Volge gathering in Rodman's Canyon, they had not returned. The Lawkeeper of the town of Defiance had sent out a search party to find the missing men, just at that moment the Sheriff received a message on his hailer…

"Found the roller Chief," Deputy DuPont's message came over the hailer loud and clear.

"It's torn up pretty bad Sir, looks like the vehicle was unlucky enough to have been hit by Razor Rain."

The man sending the message paused for a moment, then started again…..

"There IS one body with the wreckage, unidentifiable at the moment, but I can tell you it isn't the Bioman. It's either Robert Vega or Gains Harvey, right now can't tell which. Goch is searching the body for identification."

Joshua Nolan's stomach turned as he received the disturbing news, losing a man in service of the Law Office in the defense of the city was tragic enough, but losing someone over something as trivia as Razor Rain…Well, that made telling the family even harder.

"Keep searching for the others," Joshua spoke into his hailer. Informing Deputy DuPont to continue the search, "….I want a follow up report in half an hour, if not sooner," the Lawkeeper of Defiance gave the word of what he wanted.

"Affirmative," came the answer.

Lawkeeper Nolan again looked outside the window of the Sheriff's office. He'd been given Supreme Authority over the town of Defiance; well "Supreme" may have been an extreme definition….. even the law-authority had bosses. And his were, Amanda Rosewater and the City Council of Defiance. It still stuck in his gut that Daktar Tarr had arraigned himself a position on the city council.

Nolan had never had a desire to be Chief Commander of anything. All he wanted was to live through the "Pale Wars' and raise his little girl, Irisa.

Irisa had awakened a sense of responsibility in him that he hadn't known existed. The responsibility of being a parent, and of being influential in a young life, a life that had seen tragedy happen to her family before her very eyes. Irisa had brought out the fathering instinct in him, one that had forced him to make many decisions with not only concern for himself, but for her also. It had forced him to become a family man, yet still, not all of his decisions were made in Irisa's favor.

His good friend and "comrade in arms"… "Eddie" had made fun of him for adopting the girl, but Nolan had considered that "Uncle Eddie" was just jealous. The two men were use to killing, rather than nurturing a living creature (even though that living soul was Irathient). Taking care of someone had helped Nolan, therapeutically, through post war depression.

He looked over at his daughter in her duty with him in the Lawkeeper's office. She was talking to Tommy, and she was laughing. It felt good for a father to see his daughter laugh, maybe he wasn't such a bad father after all? He returned his gaze to looking out of the window.

*************************** Deep & Dark *****************************

The dark shards of metal had come down like billions of stinging knives. The Razor Rain had cut-up the big, blue, giant of a man severely, yet Darby Kennedy had made it into the cave still breathing, still alive (although scared in a dozen places). Darby had taken the chance of evacuating the roller, the one still holding the body of Robert Vega, and making a play for the cave, it had been the right choice. As he looked back he observed the Rain turning the vehicle into a piece of scrap-metal, ready for the bone yard. The Razor Rain cutting it to ribbons.

The blue man looked at his wounds. There was blood oozing from cuts all over his body, and the smell of that blood, and the blood of Deputy Vega, permeated the air. Soon the Bioman heard the sound of other creatures approaching the cave. Through the gathering darkness he could see the glowing eyes of wild animals.

"Saberwolves!"

Unknown to the Bioman, he had sought sanctuary inside the tunnel of a Saber-pack's lair….. and they wanted out of the Razor Rain just as much as he did. Without thought Darby turned and began running from the entrance of the cave, never considering for once that he may become lost…..and that is exactly what happened...

Quentin McCawley was sick with fear, and apprehension. The invader into his home should not have attacked him blind-sider as such. It was one thing to confront a robber or a crook in one's house, yet another to kill a man. He had taken the man (Birch) by the throat, and choked the life out of him (his brother's ghost still haunting him). Quentin had never killed anyone before, well cept for maybe a few volge during the battle for Bissel Pass. But no-one face to face as such….

Now he was here, at Dante's Drop, attempting to dispose of the body. Well, there had been no attempting to it, he'd actually done it, dropped the lifeless flesh of the burglar down into the river of rock. He had tossed the man's glasses in also, and made ready to return to his father's house.

Just then he heard a sound behind him. It was more of a groan really, as if someone were injured. Quentin looked around and discovered the big body of a Bioman nestled among the rocks a few feet away. He was badly hurt and only barely conscious.

*Had he seen what the young McCawley had done?*

Quentin had half a mind to add the blue body of the witness to that of the intruder whom had broken into his home. His better judgment told him not to do this. He may have killed the intruder for "breaking & entering", but that could be seen as a sense of self preservation. Tossing this guy's body into the river of rock would be an act of murder, and the young male McCawley was no murderer, He loaded Darby Kennedy's body into his wheelbarrow and headed back to the entrance to the mine shaft.

END PART 12


	13. Chapter 13

Defiance of the Many 13

"Getting Warmer"

Arthur's note: Chapter 13 "Getting Warmer"…..

"Getting Warmer" is a phrase that pertains to the idea that, as one gets closer to something of desire (ie….an item, such as an Easter Egg, or information), said person, by continuing the hunt, is likely to find what they are looking for; (digging deep into a subject will gain results).

Joshua Nolan and his team of Deputies (for story purposes I number the Law office of Defiance as having a department regiment of about 15 Lawkeepers, including Top-Dog Lawkeeper, Nolan himself), are getting down to business, and want to know what happened to their friends…. Darby Kennedy, Robert Vega & Gains Harvey. Nolan and his deputies also want to know about the rumors of a massing of volge on the outskirts of the city for a counter-attack.

Maybe labeling a new act of aggression by the volge as a "counter-attack" could be seen as a poor definition, being that it comes weeks after the Battle of Bissel Pass, however, a counter-attack is still warrant as revenge by the volge. Revenge for the beating delivered to them the night of their initial assault.

*************************** Waz Up Doc? *****************************

Doc Yewll used her Micro-Examiner to scan over the big blue man lying unconscious upon her examination bed (Biomen, by definition, were, just as their namesake implied, Bio"men"…. genetically created life-forms which shared the same physiology as your average human male, yet enhanced with obvious differences, they were bigger, had more strength & endurance, and their ability to heal hurtled that of your normal human soldier). Still…. although Darby's body could heal itself, he was still near death. His body was stable, but remained in poor condition.

Now, continuing to consider the differences between Biomen and their human counter-parts, there was another aspect that separated the "genetics" from the humans they served, and that difference was intelligence. Biomen were far from being stupid, but their brain intellect was more that of a carnivorous beast out in the wild other than that of a human being. The genetically created soldiers were purposely "dumbed-down" so that they could be controlled better and instituted to follow orders without question. The Kennedy Class had been the exception…

During the course of the Pale Wars, and the extended duration of the fighting, battlefield casualties had taken toll on the leadership and command of the human army in the field. The Kennedy Class Biomen were brought in and re-established with a "smart-gene", a bio-enhancement which allowed them to make better decisions. These men, like Darby, were then sent out to be used as officers in the "B-B" (Bio-Brigades).

This one, lying on Doc Yewll's hospital cot at the moment, was certainly a magnificent specimen of the species. His skin tone, more ashened than blue, could take any color of pigment camouflage the EMC could come up with, and Darby Kennedy was not just your average Bio-leader….whether on purpose or by accident, the large, ash-colored giant had a brain more suitable for a human general, over that of lieutenant (the rank he'd been given and under which he'd served the EMC during the war).

Although smart, Darby was still humble. The serial number etched across his chest reminded him every day that he had been constructed as a machine, a machine for warfare, and therefore he carried a stigma, a certain mistrust anywhere he traveled. Defiance was the one town that had seen him as different, but only due to the fact that the lovely Castithan woman Tressa, whom he'd rescued a few weeks earlier, had forced them to see him as human, as something more than just War-Trash.

Now, as he lay there on the medical cot, recovering from his devastating injuries, he was dreaming of her….

*************************** Old TV Shows *****************************

Doc Yewll was impressed at the rate of recovery the large man seemed to be generating. She would get a sample of his blood and analyze it later.

"Is he going to be alright doc?"

A young man approached the cot. He, the Doctor, and her patient were the only individuals in the room.

The question caught her off-guard, but Meh Yewll looked up into the young face of a man who was showing concern. She recognized him as the young McCawley boy….

"He's going to be fine, better than fine; his condition is improving exponentially," Doc Yewll spoke in her rather familiar monotone voice. Seemingly uncaring and emotionless of the effect it would have on Quentin.

There was no sign of relief shown on the young man's face, it was curious, but, for the doctor, it was not of her concern at the moment. She went back to examining her patient.

"Ya'know Doc, you have all the bedside manner of a Vulcan," Quentin told the physician. Looking up she replied…..

"Well, I am a Votan."

He continued his study her face. Looking deeply into her eyes he could see that the medical surgeon of Defiance was devoid of emotion…..

"I said Vulcan, not Votan…."

There was a pause, and a definite question appeared in the surgeon's eyes.

"I'm not sure I'm getting your meaning," she replied calmly.

With that Quentin abruptly turned and marched out of the room. He seemed upset, but the doc didn't have the time, nor the patience, for inquiry into what was bothering the boy. She just lowered her micro-examiner again and returned to reviewing her patient. There were still some aspects about humans that perplexed her.

Her assessment of Quentin's emotions had been correct, HE was disturbed, disturbed about something that had nothing to do with her, and had everything to do with what he'd done. He was still unsure if the Bioman had seen any of his activity in the shaft at Dante's Drop? Sure it was dark in there, and the big man seemed to have been barely conscious that the time of his discovery, but Quentin couldn't relax, he was unsure that the Bioman hadn't witnessed him drop Birch's body over the edge? However, what could the young McCawley do? For now he could do nothing, nothing but return home.

*************************** NeedWant *****************************

After visiting Bissel Pass, Lawkeeper Nolan was on his way back to the city proper of Defiance. He had received a message on his hailer informing him that Darby Kennedy had been recovered, found unconscious, but still alive, and was being treated by Doc Yewll in the medical center.

This was a good report, and also while at Bissel Pass the Sherriff of Defiance had gotten word from the security crew stationed there, that the day before two men had come through the gate, and had told Deputy Kennedy that they believed a volge encampment was in Rodman's Canyon. Nolan meant to investigate this lead, and get the information from these gentlemen first-hand.

He swung his roller up to the hospital quarters. Exiting quickly he entered the building and searched out Doc Yewll.

Some time later….

Lawkeeper Nolan stood on the street outside the doors of the "NeedWant". He stood staring at the doors of the the building for what seemed to be a lingering moment, he then glanced over to his right, then his left, at the deputies standing there. Tommy was on his right shoulder, Irisa on his left. He also had a couple of newly deputized appointees there for back-up. It had been rumored that the two men who'd given the information about the volge were inside.

Nolan hadn't been able to recover any information from Darby, being that he had been sedated, and Doc Yewll had demanded that he get rest, but the Lawkeeper of the town had gotten the name "Jed" from the gate crew at Bissel Pass, and Jed was inside Kenya's establishment right at this moment.

After losing one man to Razor Rain, having one hospitalized, and... with one still missing, Nolan was determined to get answers, answers to questions that he had aplenty. Those answers were only the first step to helping him figure out what was going on. And those answers were contained within the NeedWant.

Lawkeeper Nolan began to move forward, and as he entered the establishment, his posse was only a breath behind…..

END PART 13


	14. Chapter 14

Defiance of the Many 14

"Dreams"

Arthur's note: Chapter 14, "Dreams", follows…

*************************** Dreams *****************************

The night was dark, very dark. The girl, although confident in her ability to complete her mission, was still a little perplexed about her vision…..

Irisa, since the Arkfall, the crash of the vessel that had nearly wiped out the town of Defiance, had been having dreams, dreams which had included her friend and seemingly alternative mentor, Sukar.

Her father, Nolan, had become increasingly confused by his daughter's relationship with the Spirit Rider. One could say that he'd become a bit jealous of that relationship, whereas she viewed it more as a kinship, a connection that Nolan could not understand.

Sukar had told her that her visions were a gift, a gift from Irzu, the thing about Irisa's visions….. her dreams, were that they, as well as all dreams, were confusing, never easy to interpret. Even with Sukar's help…. her visions, at times, were difficult to understand. The Spirit Rider had reassured her that this present was a sign from their god, that it was meant to be, but the girl wasn't actually sure if she saw it as such. Gift or a burden, whatever it was, it did feel as if it were was a weight upon her shoulders.

Irisa had been devastated by what Nolan had done to the Spirit Rider. Shooting him down when he had only been attempting to save the town. She still had not totally forgiven her father for his misjudgment, nor was she certain that she ever could. She had been having dreams, two nights in a row now, the same dreams. Sukar had come to her, spoken to her saying that she needed to travel to the ship, the vessel which had used him to alter its course to save the city.

Had the Arkfall crashed into Defiance, it would have certainly devastated the town. Sukar had actually been the savior of Defiance. Having been reanimated by the nanites from the Razor Rain, he had used the city's broadcasting system to redirect the Arkfall. The craft had crashed safely outside the town's boundaries.

Now Sukar again was coming to her in dreams. He told her that on that ship there was votan technology, technology that could transform the new earth, technology that could be used for resurrection, regeneration.

"That craft is full of wonders Little Wolf, wonders that could change the course of destiny. A fire will destroy that craft, consume it fully… it's why I want you to go there."

He had spoken to her in her vision. Now, Irisa felt that it was her duty, her obligation, to save the technology that was aboard the vessel, and somehow use it to restore her mentor.

*************************** Interrogation with no Resolve *****************************

Joshua Nolan, Lawkeeper of Defiance, looked at the man sitting in the chair with his back to him. Jed Murphy had been picked up at the NeedWant with barely a struggle. Of course it isn't difficult to capture a man while his pants are down around his ankles. He had been upstairs in a room with one of the girls. That was when the door had flown open and Nolan, along with his deputies, had come in, disrupting the six minutes still left on the man's clock.

Now, one of the newest visitors to Defiance was in the Law Office, undergoing interrogation.

"…Well, I'd say that your friend was the lucky one, being that he was able to make his escape out of the window before my deputies arrived to cuff him," Nolan was talking to his prisoner. "….What did you say his name was?"

"Blake, Blake Holstead," Jed offered the information, "Look Officer …, I assure you we are innocent of whatever charges you think us guilty of….. Shtako! We only arrived in town day before yesterday, we are simple Ark Hunters, we haven't done anything wrong."

Nolan studied the man…..

"So you're telling me that you weren't approached by a votan out in the Badlands, a Castithan that offered you script to make up some story about an army of volge hold up in Rodman's Canyon?"

(Still under the care of Doc Yewll, Darby had awakened long enough to tell Nolan what his scouting party had found. That there was no sign of volge on the outskirts of Defiance).

Jed did remember the fellow; actually there had been three Castithans, one remaining behind in the roller, while the other two had approached his partner, Blake.

"Well yeah, there were some votans approached us, and if I recall correctly they were three Castithans, but they talked to my partner, not me. Blake came back with a handful of script, and said that all he had to do was tell the sentries at Bissel Pass a little "white" lie. I had nothing to do with that, if he said anything wrong then why am I the one being questioned, not him?"

"Don't take us for fools or idiots Mr. Murphy," Nolan said, "you know your friend got away, escaped clean. So you're the one in the "hot seat". Now, my next question, did you get a good look at these three men, could you identify them if you saw them again?"

Jed had actually been guilty, during the inquiry, of telling a few "white" lies himself. Yet it seemed as if the Lawkeeper, and his deputies were none the wiser, telling another fib would certainly cause no more harm.

"Sorry Sheriff, one Castithan looks like another to me, if my own grandpa had been a Castithan…. I wouldn't be able to pick him out in a line-up."

The pilgrim to Defiance smiled, he was confident that under the law, they had no proof that his story wasn't true. There were lawyers waiting just outside to defend him if they chose to lock him up, and Jed knew, that in a town this size, there was town protocol, a burden the law had to follow (even if they didn't want to). Nolan would have to release him soon. The Lawkeeper of Defiance looked at the man…..

"Alright, you're free to go, but Jed, don't leave the boundaries of Defiance. You're still under suspicion…. I just don't have enough evidence to hold you in a cell, but attempt a rabbit-run and I WILL have the authority to lock you up. "

With that Jed Murphy, Ark hunter and traveler of the Badlands was released.

*************************** A Defiant Night *****************************

During the veil of darkness under a cool Defiance night, Irisa found the Arkfall, the ship that had crashed just miles away from the city of Defiance. It seemed lonely and desolate out here all by itself under the stars. And the stories it could tell…. those stories could be like the ones told by corpses dug up out of their grave, if their hearts were still beating.

This Arkfall may still have a beating heart, even with all the death it had witnessed up in the sky. Sukar had told her that there would be fire. She assumed that the ship would destroy itself, and that she was here to recover the regeneration technology aboard. Still, she did get the uncanny feeling that she was entering a tomb.

The Arks of the votan now, were like graveyards circling the Earth, with bodies of loved ones still captive in the capsules of those coffin-ships. It remained unclear who had blown up the votan vessels and the reason why.

The votan and the races of Earth had almost reached a peaceful resolve, yet on both sides there remained opposition to the agreement. Now, some of those dead Arks were destined to remain in orbit forever. The spirits of deceased votan haunting those vessels from bow to stern

Irisa had always believed in spirits, of energy that still lingered in a place long after the living had passed beyond. It was Irathient culture and religion to believe that way. Sukar had made her remember the ways of old…. that time he had marked the sacred symbols upon her face.

Now she was here for him, and she meant to fulfill his request. She would enter the craft and recover the technology required to restore his body. There were a million holes torn into the ship, some gaps big enough to walk through and would make it easy to enter, yet the craft was a large vessel, and would take more than just one night to explore, if she searched the ship head to foot. That wouldn't be smart.

Her father had night patrol, down at the Law Office this night, so it had been easy for Irisa to slip away. She loved Nolan, her father, and she trusted him to do her no harm, but he was a man, an earthling, her adoptive father, how could he know or understand the feelings or inner spirit of an Irathient child?

Irisa entered the vessel unsure of what she would find….

END PART 14


	15. Chapter 15

Defiance of the Many 15

"House of Horrors"

Arthur's note: Chapter 14, "House of Horrors"…..

So sure…. what is it that we consider about an individual dying that scares us so much? Well, that fear may be our understanding (OK, let me rephrase, our NOT understanding), that when our souls are supposed to be transported to a new reality, or a new dimension, that not all of our essence may make the journey, that sometimes, something may remain behind. There is a question of, when we are gone, are we truly gone? This keeps creeping up... and it is an inquiry that has plagued human society since the dawn of time. Still, it seems that we are not alone.

Dead is dead for sure….but when you consider a superior race of individuals (intelligent enough to traverse the galaxy) still holding onto the belief of spirits and haunts, well, maybe we ain't so different after all.

*************************** House of Horrors *****************************

Irisa Nyira entered a vessel that, only short hours before, had been a satellite orbiting the newly terriformed Earth. It was, only days ago, that the Ark, was just considered space-debris encircling the planet…..

It always felt strange and foreboding to the Irathient, when first stepping foot inside an Arkfall (although she'd done it many times before, with her father), that she was invading sacred ground. An analogy would be like an ocean diver exploring an old sunken ship at the bottom of the sea, with every chamber explored…. it was like entering a forbidden world, a remnant of the past, where the energy of lost souls did not welcome invaders.

As Irisa truly believed, these wrecks were like graveyards, with the residual spirits' of the deceased aboard still haunting the place where they'd taken their last breath. Although she was aware of spirits and ghosts, she did not let them frighten her. There was no Irathient legend ever recorded that spoke of souls, of the past, ever harming any living individual. Still, it was considered better never to anger a specter, or disturb their peace…. if one could help it.

Inside the craft, the young Irathient searched the vessel quietly. She passed from room to room, chamber to chamber; seeking what she assumed would be obvious votan technology. The technology she could use to help Sukar.

Although the ship was certainly votan by design, it appeared to be mainly an Indogene in nature.

Votan history was no secret. Irisa and Nolan had come across many data logs explaining the "Great Flight" of the votan, the exodus away from their dying solar system…..and how, in the beginning, gaining passage aboard an Ark was reserved for the higher levels of votan society (certain ships were reserved for certain votan races, although, it was mandate that no race be left behind for extinction. An equivalent in Earth history of Noah loading up his Ark with every species imaginable to humankind before the Great Flood).

The Indogene, although highly developed and perceived as an intellectual race, had garnered their own ships, as did all the races. The Indogene, although few in number, considered themselves as the intellect of the society (the more advanced), yet they seemed to be unaffected by arrogance. There had been less than half a dozen ships designated for the Indogene, however, as the launch date of the Arks inched closer, refuge of other races were allowed to stow upon their vessels.

The Arks were seen as lifeboats, and the Indogene race had no problem sharing their ships with other races of their society so that whole breeds of votan would not perish . The only problem (and there was a problem, well, it was more of an irritant), being that the Indogene were none-believers, they had no faith. They had requested that the "Faithful", being allowed aboard their vessel, curtail their worship, or do their praying in the privacy of their own sector. This would give the science-minded Indogene their space to perform their experiments, and conduct their science without disruption.

…This ship looked to be one of those types of vessels.

Irisa entered into a room, a chamber, and it seemed to be part of the craft that was used for examination, the Irathient girl was horrified by what she saw. There were bodies hanging in bags attached to the ceiling struts, creatures that looked as if they'd been witness to torture, experimentation. She couldn't be sure, but had these individuals been alive at the moment of the Ark's destruction? She felt sick, sick that these folk may have been used by the Indogene to perform their studies. She looked around; some of bags contained humans, yet now, all had gone to meet the Great Irzu, or whichever god they worshiped, and had passed into the afterlife. This must be the area where Nolan and Tommy had discovered the living body of Gordon McClintock, the astronaut brought back to Defiance.

At that moment Irisa heard a sound made in an adjoining chamber… could it be ghosts?

*************************** What a Wicked Web We Weave *****************************

Jed Murphy found himself hiding in the recently crashed vessel of the votan spaceship. Being that he considered the Arkfall still within the boundaries of the township of Defiance, he had violated no order by the Law Authority of the town; he hadn't broken any of the rules.

Now, he was waiting for his partner, Blake, to arrive. The two men had made an arrangement (while in the NeedWant), that should they become separated, or lose the other by chance, then they would meet up at the fresh Arkfall outside of town.

Murphy recalled the questions he'd been asked by Lawkeeper Nolan, and yes he did remember the Castithans, the men who'd approach him and his partner as they'd come within the boundaries of the city of Defiance. One of the Castithans looked to consider himself better than the others. Better dressed, he had remained inside the roller while the other two had spoken to Blake.

Whatever arraignment his partner had agreed upon with the Castithans had remained silent with his companion. Blake had spoken to the guard at Bissel Pass privately, so Jeb had been truthful in his admission to the Lawkeeper that he did not know what had transpired. Still, he had not been totally truthful (telling half lies was better, at times, then telling full ones); he did know more information than he had admitted to. One being that he could identify the Castithan men if they were brought before him.

Jeb didn't care about that now; his current mission was to find the trinkets or items of most value that were still a part of this vessel. He & Blake were lucky; this Arkfall was so fresh that it remained untouched by the scavengers of the wastelands (Ark Hunters or grave robbers, whichever term one chose to apply).

He & Blake were well aware of the superstitions and traditions carried on by the alien races which had come to Earth for sanctuary. They saw humor in how, such a supposed superior group of beings…races of individuals that could explore the universe, could still remain shackled by the restraints of religion. Still, it worked out to their advantage, a benefit that told them that votans would pay a high price for artifacts recovered from the ships in which they had sailed to earth…and Jed and Blake were not beyond exploiting their weakness for such items. So, in a sense, these two gentlemen could be considered no better than grave robbers.

At that moment Jed heard a sound behind him. He pivoted quickly, but was witness to nothing there. At once he was both relieved, and at the same time regretful that it was not his partner. Why do you ask? The reason... Jed did not believe in ghosts, yet with that being the case, he still had dumped a load full of shtako within his pants….. And he was glad that Blake was not there to witness it.

END PART 15


	16. Chapter 16

Defiance of the Many 16

"What Scares Us"

Arthur's note: Chapter 16 "What Scares Us"…..Disclaimer below (why is this a disclaimer, I claim everything :)

DotM 16, is a chapter that must be forwarded by a caution, a warning that suggests that the story below contains violence and implied situations of an adult nature. Please realize that this is just the way I see the story advancing. I promise not to get too "graphic", that's not how I write, and it's not my style. However, in real world situations, events as this, do happen. And as horrid & tragic as they are, they still are with us. I hope that readers realize that this is not a "kiddie story". The work is intended for mature readers, and, as such, should be considered (yet I hope the story may still be enjoyed)…..and so, the story of DotM continues….

In the downed Arkfall... Irisa has heard sounds which have startle her….she moves to investigate.

*************************** What Scares Us *****************************

Irisa had heard sounds coming from an adjacent chamber during her hunt in the Arkfall for votan technology. At first she was hesitant to investigate, being Irathient and superstitious, however, one does not find the answers to questions if one does not seek out the reasons.

She was looking to explain the nature of those sounds. It may be an animal, just some creature come out of the darkness in search of shelter (?), but until she found its origin, she could envision many things that it could be, and some of those images presented danger.

Irisa withdrew one of her cutting blades (sheathed in the harness behind her back) and steadied herself for what she might find. She advanced to an opening in a side wall, then stealthily continued through a corridor and into another chamber. Inside she saw nothing. She proceeded to enter the room, knowing that this had to be the place where the sound had originated. Just then a man stood up in front of her, the shock, to the Irathient, was so surprising that she dropped her blade and it hit the floor beside her feet.

She ducked down quickly behind a table slab as the man (who'd had his back to her), heard the sound of the knife hitting the deck, and turned abruptly.

"WHO'S THERE…?"

Jed spoke as he had turned to investigate the noise, there was a pause...

"BLAKE IS THAT YOU?"

Jed didn't believe in spirits, or the undead, no matter how many popular earth television programs had been broadcast to the public before the votans had arrived. Still, he was searching for a reason to explain the sound which had disturbed him.

The man, who'd been detained by the Sheriff of Defiance, only a few hours ago, had come to the Arkfall in search of his friend. Unknown to him at the time, Blake had become weary of waiting for his companion, weary and hungry, and had gone out in search of food.

Jed had entered the Arkfall at this time. In awaiting his friend he had decided to do a little Ark-robbing. He had found an Indogene life-chamber (ironic how the capsule was referred to as a life-chamber when the Indogene inside was obviously dead), and he had activated the buttons which had opened the sealed cover. The exhaust of the cryo-atmo inside, and the rush of fresh air into the tube, was what Irisa had heard in the other room.

Murphy had then discovered a medallion weighing lightly upon the Indogene's life-suit. He had plucked this trinket from the man, or woman (when it came to Indogene, who could tell the difference?), but the trinket had slipped from his fingers and reached the floor. He had stooped down to pick it up, and then as he stood to examine the piece, he had heard a noise behind him. He had looked around the room, but his investigation had shown him nothing.

Had he awaken the spirit of this fallen alien? Had pulling the ornament from its body awaken its ghost which had remained en-capsuled inside the tube until he had opened the life-chamber and freed it?

Shivers ran down his spine...

Jed reached for his weapon, but remembered that, after the Lawkeeper's investigation, he had forgotten to retrieve it when he had been released.

Now he felt naked, almost as naked as when he'd been caught in the pleasure room of the NeedWant.

"Well look at what we have here?"

At that moment Blake Holstead had entered the room. The man stood, pointing his gun, and starring down at something that was hidden away from Jed's view. It was then that Murphy witnessed a young Irathient girl arises from behind a table. Blake then, proceeded to proclaimed her prisoner...

*************************** What Scares Us Too *****************************

Irisa stood leaning against the dais. She had been disarmed by the two Ark-robbers, so she felt helpless as they continued to search other cryo-tubes for artifacts that could be of value. She did remember that Holstead had not detected the knife which had fallen from her hand, and which she had covered with her foot during his initial confrontation. He had approached her, and removed her remaining weapons, after which, the two grave-robbers felt secure that the girl was harmless.

Yet, they didn't know IRISA!

Had her father, Nolan, been there, he would have likely stood back, and just watched the show. These men didn't know the trouble that had walked into their hiding place. They should have known better than to attempt to take hostage an Irathient woman, or worse, take advantage of her.

"There ain't much pickings here….." Holstead spoke to his partner as the two had searched every cryo-tube and had come up with very little.

The men were a bit disappointed in their findings...

"Indogenes have no faith," Irisa volunteered, "…holy medallions and trinkets of worship aren't their style," she said.

"Well then, what is this here," Murphy implied...he held up the piece of metal he'd pulled off the deceased Indogene of the first capsule he'd opened.

"It's an emblem of rank, of position," Irisa said, she was lying of course, completely fabricating a story, she had no idea what the medallion represented, but they didn't know that... "Its worthless."

With this the man who'd first taken her hostage walked over to the young Irathient girl. He put a gun to her head…

"Well, I can tell you of something that isn't," he spoke. He turned to the look over at his partner….

"Murphy... you ever have an Irathient girl?"

Jed was more fixed on searching for more trinkets, his interest lay more in discovering wealth, other then violating a votan woman. Especially one he recognized as a deputy of the town of Defiance. He never turned around to see what his friend was speaking of, but he had an idea.

"Go ahead, enjoy youself PIG," Murphy chuckled, "I've already lied for you about knowing the Castithans that paid us outside of town. Go ahead and violate the girl. Just make sure that you cover your tracks after," he said, " don't want Sheriff Nolan to have a reason to peruse us out into the wastelands. Not after you've defied a deputy of the law."

Blake looked at the girl….

"So you're a deputy," Blake said at Irisa, "...that makes it even better, and it seems that he doesn't want to participate in our fun….." Holstead slowly pushed Irisa onto her back on the pedestal.

"Looks like you and me baby…."the man spoke as he lowered his weapon and reached down to his pants.

Stretching her arms back as far as she could, Irisa could feel the knife which she'd dropped earlier, and which still remained on the floor….

"Are you ready for a real man….."he spoke?

Irisa looked into Holstead's eyes…..

"Only if I can deliver a real man to a place he's never been before…" the Irathient girl smiled. She could see that her violator did not understand her words…yet she was not finished.

"Take me; take me now, "she said, "… because I promise you you'll never touch another Irathient woman, or any other woman for that matter, ever again."

Holstead looked down at the woman that lay on the dais beneath him. So she wanting it ruff, and she talked in riddles? Well, when he was finished with her she'd be spitting poetry that no one else had ever heard.

"Such a veiled threat," he said, "and coming from such a tiny, fragile creature…,"Holstead leaned forward to commence his activity.

At that moment Irisa's hand grasped the knife that she had shielded upon the floor. With a swift move she passed the blade across her violator's throat. Holstead's eyes grew as big as saucers; his hands reached up to grip his neck. Even with his fingers forming a seal, thick, rich blood came pouring between the digits. He made a gurgling sound and fell to the floor.

Irisa sat up; at this moment Jed had turned around and was in shock of what he was seeing…

The Irathient took her blade and flung in towards the other man, but it missed hitting him. He had ducked and dogged her blade. Still, the steal had hit a circuit-board on the wall. A flame broke out immediately, and the fire advanced quickly.

Irisa arose from the table, she ran to the door (which had been sealed, and a lever pulled to lock her inside), she opened it. Once outside she sealed it again, and locked it shut. Through a porthole she could see the file spreading rapidly. She heard the shouts of Jed as he fought the flame and screamed for her to open the door…she turned her face, and ran away.

Outside the vessel the Irathient girl looked back. The whole backside of the Arkfall was on fire. Although she could not hear them, she was sure that screams were coming from the inside. She was sure that the flame would shortly be witnessed by the town of Defiance. And she did not want to be there when her father arrived.

*************************** Epilogue *****************************

Irisa returns to her roller. She starts the engine and never looks back. We watch as the dust of her roller stirs in the distance of an advancing new dawn.

the music begins, and we listen to Thomas Bergerson's "Cassandra" (Two Steps from Heaven)...

END PART 16


	17. Chapter 17

Defiance of the Many 17

"Cooked Carcass/Cold Case"

Arthur's note: Chapter 17, "Cooked Carcass".

This named chapter may be a phrase considered as slang, however, that being said, isn't there slang in every earth society... Russian, German, French, Asian…and so on. Slang which will describe any situation.

We, as earth beings want to clarify (or simplify) our assessment of a condition? We humans, want to take the simplistic route, even in our speech. A way of expressing our emotions or certain situations with the least amount of effort. This defines us as who we are, a species dedicated to the quickest path.

As the votan begin to realize that this is a better way of communication (since becoming more humanized by earth influence), they see that it was in error to "over-complicate" things. That their societies seemed to have made things more difficult.

That being considered, this simplification may have helped (during the Pale Wars) humans to communicate well, and more effectually, than the votan. Also this may have been the reason why we were able to sustain such a good fight during the war. Alien technology should have nixed us in the bud rather quickly, but alas, we were able to stall them in a war that should have culminated in our defeat (we posted a "stale mate" in a fight that should have proved our undoing).

Alien technology may have over-compensated itself. Intelligence should remember that, as progress advances, it also simplifies itself (the God gene implies simplicity). Votan technology should have been more than adequate to wipe us out. Yet for a society so advanced...they faltered. Maybe they forgot how to simplify things? a perplexon that resulted in the war being fought to a draw.

As a side-note...

We do (as living souls), project life into inanimate objects, objects of our creation that we see as living, breathing entities (our computers & cars for example) and I curse technology sometimes for its "Defiance" of my will. I swear that my computer is a living entity, and I become angered with it almost every day…..Anyhoo, my own emotion aside…..

Even in the future we will describe our manufactured creations as such (living things).

The spacecraft (shown in Defiance episode "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times") may have been burned to a crisp, with little that could be salvaged, yet in my story (chapter 17) I explore "Secrets", secrets that have, as of yet, been explored. I look to a side of Doc Yewll that many readers do not know… a region that the humble doctor may be embarrassed to admit...parts of herself that show that her EMOTIONS might be something that she is unwilling to explore, or that she may be reluctant to show.

Doc Yewll may be woman that has intellect, but she may be an individual that wants to begin experiencing life more fully. To feel joy, to laugh, to get to know what it feels like to be wanted by someone. Yewll may be the "Doctor of Defiance", and an intellect, but she is also a woman, and she is of the "mind-set" that maybe "votan society" wasn't the best for the species after all. She is now considering the idea of a companion (Best result would be a "soul companion" but she can live with a little less).

The Good Doctor may be a Indogene, but as I see it, she is the possessor of deeper feelings than she is willing to expose. That beyond that smooth white skin there is an Indogene that may have a soul.

Doc Yewll may be a walking, breathing paradox….

******************** Cooked Goose ********************

Meh Yewll, or better known as Doc Yewll in the town of Defiance, looked at the downed Arkfall. It was scorched pretty badly, burned up rather well (the overall shell of the capsule seemed as if it had been baked near completion while entering the Earth's atmosphere). She looked over at the young man (who had accompanied her in a roller to the crash site)….Tommy.

"…And you say that the lab, and the area where you found Gordon McClintock received even more damage by the fire last night," the Doc questioned the Deputy?

Tommy Lasalle nodded his head in conformation…. that was true. He, and the Chief Lawkeeper of Defiance, Joss Nolan, and half dozen other deputies, had come to investigate the glow, in the northern dark sky of Defiance, in the early morning hours. They had found the back of the votan spacecraft on fire; however, instead of attempting to extinguish the blaze, Nolan had made the call just to let it burn itself out.

'Yupp," Tommy said looking at the vessel, "sort of resembles a "cooked goose" don't you think?"

Doc Yewll passed a glancing eye at the man. She still was not completely cogent to human slang, nor the metaphors they used to explain things in their everyday language (a means by which they used one idea to promote another), but she was catching on.

"Yes, in a pig's eye….." she said, wanting to express her own vent of human slang.

Tommy just looked at her, in his eyes there contained a glint of confusion….

Well, maybe she wasn't catching on to the human "practice" as well as she thought she was. She returned to viewing the downed vessel.

The Aurawtou (pronounced are-rot-to) was an Indogene science vessel, or rather, it had been. It wasn't the Ark in which Meh Yewll had been a passenger, but she had had many acquaintances on that vessel. It was sad for her knowing that the NASA earthling was the only survivor Tommy and Nolan had found while investigating the downed craft.

The votan scientists, the doctor having known many onboard, had likely all perished. And the data they'd collected may have been gone forever as well. She knew that every Indogene vessel was equipped with storage registry…. "Collection-Control", a banking system which recorded every detail of every experiment conducted on the craft (the Indogene were a knowledge based race, their god was the god of the mind, and what their brains could collect. They had no use for a deity that could not be seen, touch, or explain).

Doc Yewll meant for Tommy to accompany her inside the craft so the she could retrieve that data (if it remained undamaged). She had requested, from Sheriff Nolan, that she be allowed to "borrow" the deputy for the afternoon so that she could search the ship of her own votan race. Nolan had agreed, and had allowed Tommy to accompany her.

As they entered the vessel the doctor could see that Tommy had been right, it could be pretty well described as a "cooked goose", (that was right, wasn't it?), anyway it was burned up…much as charbroiled on the inside.

They made their way through the ship, pausing now and then to investigate any area that seemed a little less damaged. At the back of the vessel they found the compartment which Tommy had said contained the living body of astronaut McClintock. The other corpses (which had remained within the vessel the previous night), had been pretty much fried. The fluids used to help preserve their living bodies having become an accelerate to feed the flame. There wasn't much left to see, other than burnt pieces of flesh and wreckage.

Doc Yewll and Tommy Lasalle then ventured into another part of the craft. In this chamber they found the near cremated bodies of deceased votan, Indogene who had attempted to save themselves (during the Ark explosions) by entering the Life-Compartments…. Factually, their attempts had failed.

With effective intuitiveness (and a keen eye), the Doctor using her rational reasoning, and Tommy, his investigative sprint, they found that this chamber seemed less damaged than the others… like the fire had run out of oxygen to feed its flame, expressing the idea that the chamber had been sealed, and the blaze had snuffed itself out rather quickly before completely devouring the room. Yet the door had been open when they had arrived?

Investigative intellect told them that, the "Air-Lock" entrance, had at some moment in time, been closed, but now, it had manually been opened. This expressed the idea that either someone had entered, or exited after the flame had extinguished itself. The question was, who had that been?

The two returned to the entrance corridor. On the wall outside they noticed a message that had been written, a message in blood…..

"I'm still alive Irath….& I'm coming for you!"

Confusing as the statement may have been to them, it was meant for somebody, a note proclaiming revenge. Yewll looked over at Tommy…she didn't care about the message, what she was here to look for was data.

"How about we continue our investigations in separate directions, "I'll take the high road & you take the low".

The Deputy again looked at her as if he'd missed her point…

"You go aft, I'll go forward…I'd like to complete our search before it gets dark."

Yewll thought that maybe she should try to forget matching her human counterparts with their earthly slang; it wasn't working out so well.

Tommy understood her last directions, and he was OK with that…. he continued to stern, the back of the vessel, while the city doctor headed to the bow, the front.

They were to report back to each other in fifteen minutes, and inform the other of what they had found…

*************************** Cold Fish *****************************

At the front of the vessel, on the bridge, the Doctor found what she was looking for, a complete activity record of the craft. The data of her colleague's experiments aboard the ship. She placed the chip in her pocket; understanding that this Intel was for her consumption only. No one in Defiance had the wherewithal, or the understanding of what her colleagues had been up to.

Although godless, the Indogene were a prideful race. They meant to prove that the cosmos was ruled by intellect, not a Divinity.

Human experimentation….. Or even that of other votan races, may be viewed by certain individuals as an atrocity, a torture, a vent against nature and was breaking the rules of many a votan race laws. The other alien races had their gods, why anger them when their numbers were so much greater than that of the Indogene, her own kin?

The Indogene, having progressed beyond the need for "sex", had found other methods as an alternative for procreation. Yet Doc Yewll, having her emotions becoming stirred in ways that she did not understand, had become more interested in the idea of the pleasures of the flesh. A pilgrimage to the NeedWant may be in order. Visiting that place, just out of curiosity mind you, may show her what this physical attraction was all about (for research purposes only, come on now!).

The good Doctor had taken a liking to the human Quentin. He was a smart boy, and although human, she was subject to study him further…..

Anyhoo, that had nothing to do with her mission at present. With the data chip secure in her pocket she headed aft to meet up with Tommy, maybe there were things the Defiance Deputy had found that she was unaware of?

*************************** Epilogue *****************************

Irisa explained to her father that she wasn't feeling good the following morning after her adventure to the Aurawtou. Fearing that his daughter may becoming ill (there seemed to be some sort of sickness flowing through town), he advised her to stay home.

In reality Irisa was exhausted from her activities the previous night. She fell onto her bed and progressed into a deep slumber. A sleep that included dreams, visions of her Irathient mentor Sukar. Sukar came to her in her visions, he told her that she had completed her mission well.

"But how," she had questioned, " how did I do right when I did not retrieve the information that could restore your body to the state it was before?"

"Little Wolf, your task was not about saving me, it was about destroying votan technology that could harm the world we now live on, experimentation conducted by a voton race that could cause the destruction of this planet. We have lost one world by our own result, yet by Irzu, we shall not lose another. There in a race of votan in Defiance who have become connected to the ER. That coalition could end our new genesis. Research someone named Nicolette Riordon…. That is where you may find answers…..

END PART 17


	18. Chapter 18

Defiance of the Many 18

"What?"

Arthur's note: Something is going on in the town of Defiance, something that isn't normal. I know that saying this may be considered as odd, but when taken as a whole, couldn't many of the things that happen in this town be seen as utterly strange as viewed by today's society(well, perhaps not…. if a person was at Disneyland)?

Big Blue men walking about…. and hairy, fur-covered individuals serving you drinks in a bar…. Don't you think that the world of "Defiance" would be one crazy place to live, or is it just me?

Anyhoo, I've been keeping up with the tv series, and I am attempting to infuse this story with what is current with the television show (although this story arc pursues an avenue of its own).

Be that as it may, this is something that could be considered a first for the town, more bizarre even than things which have happened in some cities across America pre- "Pale Wars".

A couple of Nolan's deputies have found something outside the city proper, and although there is plenty of crime in the territory, this particular finding is really "over the top"…read on to see what happens in "What?", chapter 18.

Also, I extend my thanks to all who are staying abreast of this story. I thank you for reading, and I appreciate your continued support, Z.

*************************** _PART 1- WHAT?_ *****************************

Joshua Nolan, Lawkeeper of defiance, pulled his roller to an abrupt halt at the edge of a forested area just on the outskirt of the town's southwest side. He looked out through the passenger side window of the vehicle at the two individuals standing there, waiting for him.

Tommy Lasalle and Irisa had discovered something truly disturbing…..and they were a bit uncertain as to how to proceed, however, now that Nolan was here, he could make the decision concerning how to move the event forward.

"So,"….. the Lawkeeper began after exiting his roller, "what's' so important that it couldn't wait until I finished my morning brew?"

…It had been nearly two weeks since the night of the Arkfall fire, two peaceful weeks. The Lawkeeper of the town of Defiance was grateful just to have that amount of calm. Clam in a place where usually, before dusk, the town had experienced six assaults, nine domestic calls, fifteen thefts, and twenty disturbances that could fall into the miscellaneous category. It was a calm that Nolan knew wouldn't last forever, two weeks of peace, considering Defiance's usual serving of theatrics, it had been a pretty good rest...

The Lawkeeper approached his two ranking deputies.

"So, what have we got," he looked over at Tommy and Irisa.

"Oh, not much," Tommy Lasalle began; however, his manner hinted to the Marshal that this was no ordinary call. Its severity pointed to something a little more complex, a disturbance that was a bit more important than just your average cat stuck in a tree….

"We've only discovered, " he paused, "a nest of buried bodies, a corpse-yard right under the nose of the town."

Nolan's jaw suddenly dropped to the ground…

"Buried bodies'….. WHAT?"

"Yeah, Nolan," Irisa commenced to enlighten her father, "so far four in all. Two humans and two castithans…."

Joshua Nolan, Marshal of Defiance, was still reeling from Tommy and Irisa's words when a shout (from one of the group of Spirit Riders who'd accompanied Irisa and Tommy to the spot) focused their attention elsewhere…..

"FOUND ANOTHER ONE," the man said, "but can't tell if it's human, or castithan!"

The Irathient deputy's gaze returned to her father….

"Make that five bodies….," she said.

*************************** Buried *****************************

Irisa, Tommy and Nolan, upon hearing word that another corpse had been found, walked over to the site. The body being pulled from the ground was caked with dirt and mud. When it was pulled free of the earth it was laid to rest next to the hole where it had been buried. Just then, all four Spirit Riders fell to their knees in the dirt, and touched their hands to their foreheads, Irisa joined them.

This body was not human or castithan, its dress, and mass of long earthen colored hair…. proclaimed it Irathient.

The Spirit Riders began chanting. Their wailing proclaimed their chant as a song of woe, of bereavement. It echoed off the bark of the surrounding trees…

Nolan and Tommy just stood there, unsure if they should be more surprised by finding another body, or the reaction of the Irathients?

Nolan was about to stop their goose-calls...

From his perspective, this was a crime scene, not a memorial service. Total, there seemed be a number of five murders, all individuals with no identities, and all who were begging for their murder to be solved.

Nolan didn't have time for all of this Irathient "worship the soul to heaven" bull-shtako. He opened his mouth to order a halt to this nonsense when Tommy noticed what he was about to do and stopped him. Nolan looked into the eyes of his senior Deputy; LaSalle presented a façade of caution.

"Let them mourn," he whispered to the Lawkeeper, "I know this chant, I've heard it before, this is an Irath chant to Irzu. It is manna to their god for the forgiveness of a soul for the wrong the individual may have committed while they were living. It is an aid in prayer so that the decease's soul may be helped into the entrance to heaven…..it shouldn't take long."

Nolan looked at his Deputy; he could see the wisdom in Tommy's words, after all, hadn't there been wars fought on earth over differences in religious beliefs? The Sheriff understood that he should hold his tongue. He responded, in turn, to his deputy's suggestion quietly….

"OK, as long as it's the short version," he said.

In two minutes the Irathients' extended their arms and raised their hands to the sky… with this, they commended the decease's Spirit to Irzu, they commenced a low throaty moan, almost howl in its tone. It reminded Nolan of the sound a wolf makes when groaning its loneliness to the moon, it was irritating, but quick, in ten seconds the howling stopped…and, at that moment the ceremony finished. All of the prayers ended, and the mourners returned to a standing position.

Irisa looked at her father; she smiled in a way showing Nolan that she appreciated his tolerance of their mourning ritual.

*************************** Corpse-Yard *****************************

Lawkeeper Nolan looked at the five bodies that were laid out upon the ground. Each grave (a deceased had been pulled from), had been shallow, not more than eighteen inches deep, a sign of an organized hit, or that of a serial-murderer? Whichever the case, it meant that there was a load of headaches and sleepless nights headed in the Lawkeeper's direction.

Joshua Nolan had never meant to set up home in Defiance (a couple months of taking the badge and then he meant to pass the duty onto someone else, after which, he and his daughter would continue their journey to Antarctica, the playground of the NEW, known world).

It did seem now, that those plans and ideas had been altered. The longer he and Irisa stayed in Defiance, the deeper they got involved in the community. He felt sick in his gut; he had promised his daughter that they would continue a new life, venture to a place where the skies were always blue, and where there was no Razor Rain, and too, where the beaches (which used to be frozen-over with ice), were almost as white as snow.

There too, she would get to know the mysterious person who'd sent him the postcard. NOW, all those plans had been belayed, and it seemed that the longer they stayed in Defiance, the further their future was pushed away. Nolan was not a happy man, he was living with the regret of things he'd done, and being Lawkeeper of Defiance wasn't clearing his mind. He also felt sorry for the unraveling of the promise he'd made to his daughter (such a long time ago), to get her to Antarctica.

Nolan cleared his brain, he put his focus back on reality….Thank God this discovery was so new, that only he, Irisa and Tommy (and a few Spirit Riders) were the only folk that knew about it. He looked over at his two Deputies…..

"Not a word to anyone," he spoke, "no soul outside of the ones here is to know of this. That includes your kin Irisa, the four Spirit Riders that accompanied you here, understood?"

Nolan wanted to make sure that the atrocity rendered, remained under wraps, that it did not venture out to the city. His daughter did not answer, Irisa only made a gesture across her lips, a gesture which indicated that her lips were locked and sealed, and that the knowledge of the event was mum (she was becoming such an earthling). Nolan looked at Tommy….

"You too Mr. Lasalle, not a word gets out. We needn't have a panic stirred in town. If word gets out of this then Defiance could become another "Tombstone", a town where parents send their kids off to school packing sidearms. The city getting all wacko over the idea that there is a serial killer walking the streets would sure lead to citizens buying weapons with no regard. I'm sure the guns being smuggled into Defiance by Datak Tarr's thugs would increase fifty fold, as if the rumors of a revised volge attack wouldn't alone send his weapon sales through the roof. That clear….?

Tommy nodded that he understood….then he looked over at Nolan...

"There is only one thing Sherriff," Tommy said, to add to the conversation before it was completely finalized, " there is one other person who's been notified. I sent a hailer call to Miss Rosewater, the Mayor knows all about what we have found."

Tommy froze, awaiting Nolan's response...It was then that an approaching roller could be heard in the distance. Nolan looked at his deputy…..

"Thanks Tommy," The Lawkeeper spoke sarcastically, "Amanda Rosewater is just the person I need to be aware of this situation. As if I needed another splinter up my ass."

Nolan spent several seconds just staring at his main Deputy (letting him know that he was not pleased). He then turned to face the Mayor's roller coming into view, in ten seconds it pulled up, coming to a stop just a few feet away.

Amanda Rosewater came and stood in front of the Town Sheriff, and her expression didn't seem to conjure the expression of happiness.

END PART 18


	19. Chapter 19

Defiance of the Many 19

"Promotions"

******* Children Play in the Dirt, Grown-Ups Don't **********

Amanda Rosewater exited her roller and made a "B" line straight for Nolan. The Lawkeeper could see the concern etched all across her face. He hadn't known much about the woman before,….. her disposition, her character, her attitude towards life, but the Mayor of Defiance didn't smile much these days, he wondered if she had ever smiled much at all?

"Morning Mayor, nice day for a ride!"

"Cut the shtako Nolan, I'm here because I received a hailer message from Tommy saying that something interesting had been found "Buried " outside the city," she emphasized the word "Buried"…"What is it, and if it's bad what can be done about it? If it's a piece of Arkfall….."

The Lawkeeper suddenly turned, allowing the Mayor the view of the corpses behind him…

"HOLY SHTAKO!"

Amanda's hand went up to her mouth…..

"It's bad," the sheriff said.

*************************** Bones *****************************

The Mayor of Defiance began viewing the bodies; a couple were near skeletal remains, the others not as much decomposes.

"What do you make of it," Amanda asked the Sheriff of her town?

"Can't tell much at the moment," Nolan explained, "not even sure if we've found them all, the bodies that is."

He looked over at the woman that he sometimes viewed as very attractive, and then added….

"…..still, I'd bet the script in my pocket that Datak Tarr is involved."

Amanda put a finger to her lips, expressing to the Lawkeeper that he should keep his opinions silent. There were others about, and some of those weren't his trusted Deputies.

"Nolan, Datak has put his bid in for Mayor, you know that, any bad publicity that could be drummed up against me is just another feather in his hat. The Rumors of a renewed volge attack have already leaked out and has put people on edge, even though those rumors have panned out to be false. Now, with the idea that there may be a murderer or murderers within our mist is certain to gain him advantage. I want you to put your best investigative team on this."

Nolan looked at the Mayor. In his eyes she could see that he had this "You've got to be joking" stare.

"My pardon Mayor," he spoke, "but my best CSI team happens to be out in the badlands at the moment, investigating who put shtako in our drinking water."

It was a joke of course, a bit of sarcasm to demonstrate to Amanda Rosewater that Defiance was a frontier town. Having a department strictly designated to do investigative work was a luxury that he didn't have.

"I haven't had time to even replace to two men who were lost while searching for a phantom volge army out in Rodman's Canyon. There is no one that can be put on this case that could spend eons of time searching for clues that might be so small that a Hermit Mite may not be able to find them. Sorry Mayor, but my Deputies have plenty to do."

"Well, where's Darby Kennedy, he's been healed up pretty much over the past several weeks, give him the duty. My gosh Nolan, do I have to do your job for you?"

Remember it was noted that Nolan, at times, found Amanda attractive, this was not one of those moments. The Lawkeeper just viewed the woman for a brief time…..

"Sorry chief," he said, "...gave the big blue man off a couple days. As you know, Tressa is with child, their first."

Amanda had not been aware that the Castithan woman was pregnant. Nolan himself had only received the information a few days ago. The Mayor seemed befuddled by the news.

"Can Biomen even produce children?"

Her question was relevant.

"I don't know," Nolan responded, "I don't see why not, they have all of the capabilities of an average man, only enhanced, why shouldn't they be able to reproduce?" he paused a second, "still, once the baby's born, if it resembles Datak Tarr I assume we'll know."

Amanda punched him in the arm. It was the first time the sheriff had seen her smile that morning. The slight pause in the seriousness of the situation was broken by another call of a discovered body.

"FOUND NUMBER SIX!"

Amanda, Nolan, Tommy and Irisa all ran to the spot of discovery. There was another body being pulled from a shallow grave. The four Defiance residence, and the four Spirit Riders all viewed the body with sadness.

"That brings the body count to six," the sheriff stated, " trouble is, we don't know who any of them are."

"That's not true," Irisa spoke up, all turned to look at the woman with her hands in her pockets, "I know the individual unearthed before this one. Names' Ornak, his parents came to the Lawkeeper's office a few weeks ago…..said they'd talked to the Sheriff first, days before, but heard no message back. Their son had been missing for several days. The mother gave me a description of what he was wearing. One of the things she described was a band around his wrist, a family identity ring, woven from Hargot wool. The body discovered before this one has that identity band around his wrist. I assume that we've found Ornak."

Some of the individuals looked over at Nolan….the Lawkeeper spoke his piece...

"Yeah, I remember the mom and pop, said their child hadn't been home for over two days. But asking around the market showed me that the Irathient boy was a troublemaker, a bully beating up people for POW and CHOP. I kinda figured that he'd become mixed up with the wrong people, maybe left town….."

Amanda spoke up putting her two cents in…..

"Or worse, ended up in a shallow grave on the outskirts of town…."

*************************** Epilogue: Identity *****************************

The assembly of folk standing over the body (of the last corpse dug out of the soil of Defiance) returned their view to the body at hand.

"I know this guy," Irisa spoke, "Jed Murphy. I recognize the black scorpion tattoo on the back of his neck."

Irisa would never admit it, but Murphy's tattoo she'd seen the night of the Ark-fire, the night she'd wondered into the Indogene lab and noticed the fellow attempting to steal votan artifacts. She didn't want her father to know that she'd left the safety of the city without his permission, or protection, he was a bit anal in that regard. Also, with Jed Murphy dead, there was no way of discovering who the castithan men were who had approached him and his partner out in the Badlands, and paid them to lie about a massing volge army.

"Murder", it was always a neat avenue to insure silence. Evidently, there was someone that didn't want Jed spilling his guts about what he knew if he were again caught by the authority, so they spilled his guts for him.

Amanda Rosewater looked over at Nolan….

"So, you say that you don't have a CSI team," she lit with a little sarcasm of her own, "…seems to me that you have one of your very own deputies that has identified two out of six victims already."

Amanda looked over at the Irathient girl…..

"Irisa, at this point I'm promoting you to the new Defiance CSI division, you and Tommy. It comes with a pay raise and just a trickle less authority than the main Lawkeeper himself. Report to me the next findings that you come across during your investigation," Amanda gazed over at Nolan.

"Lawkeeper, you still have almost a dozen deputies to do your grunt-work. Gathering stray dogs or sifting shtako out of the city's water system is a job you can do yourself, or delegate to one of the other deputies. I'll be announcing my creation of a new department in "Defiance" at the very next town gathering. I'm sure Datak Tarr hadn't thought of that yet. Have a nice day Nolan," the Mayor ended her sermon, and with that she returned to her roller.

...had it been mentioned that at times the Lawkeeper of Defiance found the Mayor attractive? However, at this moment there was nothing that Nolan found appealing about Amanda Rosewater.

END PART 19


	20. Chapter 20

Defiance of the Many 20

"The Mysterious J J"

Arthur's note: Chapter 20 "The Mysterious JJ"

Have you ever gotten the feeling that you were being Pushed/Pulled in a direction that you were not sure that you wanted to go? Sheriff/Lawkeeper Joshua Nolan has been feeling this bit of anxiety for some time.

A veteran of the "Pale Wars", Joss just wanted to find a place to settle down and live the rest of his life peacefully. Maybe on a beach in Antarctica, relaxing, drinking margaritas (maybe bouncing a grandbaby on his keen), is that too much to ask, a simple request from a Divinity that already owns his soul, a Deity that has shown Nolan so much bad in the universe. Maybe God should relax a bit, prove to him that our creator is not the tyrant that some folk speak of as such.

Faith, it is a matter one's own belief. The votan certainly believe in their gods. Of course, the human race has its belief in God too. Just when you think you've become abandoned, maybe someone shows up that befuddles the brain.

This chapter attempts to explore some of the depths of Joshua & Irisa's mind. What drives these individuals, and what may be seen to be coming?

*************************** Road Trip *****************************

The return trip to the law-office was cold and silent….. Irisa had chosen not to ride with Tommy, but rather, with her father. Not that she had anything against Deputy Lasalle, but she wanted to make sure Nolan was OK with what had just occurred. One doesn't acquire a sudden job promotion that brings a smile to everyone's face.

Irisa wanted to make sure that her father was not upset with her, it wasn't her doing, she wasn't in competition with him, or wanting to see who…..the better Lawkeeper was. This whole CSI business (Crime Scene Investigator) had been Amanda's idea. The Mayor may be in fear for her job, and creating a new, Investigation Team, may be a way of her keeping her ass off the "hot-plate".

Still, it could be better for Irisa to sue for peace (attempt to see what was on Nolan's brain during the ride back), rather than just wait until they returned to the city. She wasn't sure if Nolan was angry at her or not? The young Irathient girl was even contemplating the idea that she wasn't sure if Amanda Rosewater had the power to just invent a new department? Could the Mayor do that….. have the stones to just invent a new part of the Law-Office that was subject to herself? The Defiance Council Board needed to know what was going on in the city for sure, but there were limits to their power.

Defiance was a scrapheap, a town with a mixture of individuals (both human and votan), individuals that came to the territory looking for work, and/or, a new life. Many were just passing through; however, the town had a sense of charm to it, there were some folk that stayed. Maybe it was the Archway, that symbol that represented what was missing in their lives. The Archway being built in Old St. Louis near the later part of the 20th century, its purpose signifying it as a bridge, a crossing from one place to another (Nicolette Riordon was a young girl during its construction), and the archway had always been viewed as an achievement for the city.

Anyhow, that had all changed, the town, now known as Defiance, was a new territory in the Neo World. A place the NER (New Earth Republic) and the VC (Votan Coalition) were now interested in. There seemed to be secrets stored away in its underground caverns. Things that each side knew about, yet weren't ready to just go out and seize. Obtaining the cache this way may result in provocation, a provocation that was neither side wanted nor desired.

Despite the lack of money, Mayor Rosewater had created a new section within the law-office, and had given Irisa and Tommy a pay-raise at the same time? The town's coffers were taxed beyond the limit already, yet she felt that the gamble must be worth the effort. Of course it could be viewed as an act of desperation. Maybe the Mayor was trying to fend off the tentacles of the NER and show the townsfolk that Defiance could remain independent? Who knew what was going through the Mayor's brain?

The young Irathient girl looked over at Nolan as he drove his roller back towards town. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but what she was sure about, was he seemed to have sunk in to his serious mode, and the thing about Nolan when he got serious, is that he got quiet, and when he got quiet she couldn't tell what was on his mind, and that irritated the Irathient girl.

Irisa had always been good at playing her father, at toying, well better spoken, influencing him, persuading his nature, his emotions. When she wanted something she just acted mad or passionate, that usually guilted him into giving in. She studied his face…..The Irathient girl just sat there on the passenger side of the roller focused on his expression.

Nolan glanced over at his adopted daughter. She seemed to be really studying his manner, looking for clues that would tell her what he was feeling. Well yes, at the moment he was pissed, very aggravated as to what, moments earlier, had just transpired, who wouldn't be, who wouldn't be extremely mad that their boss who'd just trumped their authority?

Nolan had been approached by Amanda Rosewater to be the Lawkeeper of Defiance. After the victory at Bissel Pass, the indication was, that he'd be allowed to run the Law-Office as he saw fit. Now with her bid for Governor on the line, (at this time a thought running through the Lawkeeper's head was that he wasn't sure if Amanda was destined only as Mayor of Defiance, or if she had set her sights on a more elevated position, maybe Governor over the territory?)...He glanced back at his little girl; who was still staring at him.

Those eyes, that Irathient stare that spoke volumes, yet made no indication of what was behind them, that stare made Nolan squirm in his seat. He knew that his daughter was trying to analyze his expression, read his mind, examine his thoughts, and it disturbed him more than she knew, well, maybe not.

Nolan and Irisa had been together for so long that it did seem that they could read each other's thoughts, and if she were reading his mind now, she would know that he was not a happy camper.

Just then the right front tire blew out on the roller. Nolan grasped the steering wheel with both hands and brought the vehicle to a controlled stop. Whether aggravated or not, a flat tire was just another obstacle he had to deal with. Each got out of the roller and looked to examine the damage. They heard a voice behind them…

"Looks pretty bad don't it?"

Both Nolan and Irisa turned to see an older gentleman sitting on a stack of boulders. He was bald on top with a scraggly, gray beard sopping his chin, and too, he was clothed in an assortment of animal skins, and had a well-defined old, wooden walking stick.

"Howdy, my name's Jeremiah, Jeremiah Jones, or JJ for short. I guess you could say that I'm a bit of a hermit around these parts, and I don't talk to many strangers out here, in the badlands, but you two seem to be an odd couple to be seen as running mates. Don't see too many Irathients and humans traveling together, which means that your relationship must be special," the fellow paused a second, looking around side to side…"ain't safe out here in the badlands, even for a well-equipped man and his seemingly knife-wielding partner. Gonna be dark in about three hours, might need to get that repaired as quickly as possible. There are things out here that come out after dark that you wouldn't like, but that maybe would like you, get my drift," the old man started chuckling at his own joke, "anyhoo, just a word of caution, beware of what you think you know, there are those around here that would be interested in doing you harm, leave quickly."

For a time Irisa and her father just looked at the old man, then Nolan made a motion for his daughter to retrieve the spare tire from the back, while he kept an eye on the stranger who remained staring at them. When the Irathient girl reached the back of the vehicle she spoke what she found…

"The spare has been shredded, obviously an act of sabotage."

Nolan turned to look at his daughter, then turned back to view the man. HE WAS GONE, vanished without sight or sound. The father and daughter looked at one another, the day had begun with an oddity, and it was only becoming stranger.

END PART 20


	21. Chapter 21

Defiance of the Many 21

"Seeing Ghosts", a bit lengthy, but I hope it proves worthy? Z

******************** Doc My Head Hurts ***********************

Because she was just beginning to regain consciousness, Irisa, at that moment, was aware of nothing, well, except for the dull aching on the side of her head. She was painfully aware of that…. and the pulsing agony inside her brain. What had happened? The Irathient girl hadn't regained her senses well enough to answer that question. She did realize however, that if she could feel pain, then that meant that she was still alive, still breathing.

With her eyes still closed she reached up and touched the side of her face. There was quiet the "goose egg" projected on her right temple (goose-egg, another bit of human slang that denoted when an individual received a blow to the head which resulted in swelling that formed a lump).

"Look doc, she's awake," Irisa heard someone say. She immediately recognized the voice of Tommy Lasalle.

"That doesn't mean much," she heard Doc Yewll respond; "she could still have brain damage, a severe injury inside the cranium that may not show up for weeks, something that I may not be able to detected even with the medical instruments that I have."

The comment by the doctor informed the young Irathent girl that she'd been hurt, and that she must have been brought to the Defiance infirmary for treatment. She was trying to recall what had happened, what had led her to this point? She noted a pause in their conversation, then she heard Tommy resume….

"Not with a head as hard as that woman has, she could get run-over by a bulldozer and I'd still be willing to bet that that thick skull of hers would remain intact. She's made of cold steel."

Tommy was only embellishing on Irisa's frigid nature of course; the man remained, even at this point, clueless when it came to the Irathient mating culture. Just because Irisa walked, talked, and had two legs didn't mean that her emotions were anything like an earth girl's. The Irathient courtship ritual was very complex (neo-stellar relationships were very complicated, as witnessed by the Alak Tarr & Christie McCawley). Still, Irisa liked Tommy; however, being fond of someone did not mean that she was ready to be "Woven in Bond"… (engaged/married in the eyes of Irzu).

No, when Irathients attached, it was no simple matter. There was a lengthy courtship and a long and drawn-out mating ritual. The Holy Bonding of Irzu was not to be taken lightly, and physical lovemaking meant less to the votans than it did the human race (although Irathients didn't participate in family baths, as did the Castithans, they were not as emotional in their attitudes towards sex as were humans. Tommy was yet to understand this).

That didn't mean that Deputy Lasalle didn't want to take his, and Irisa's relationship farther, he did, but he was also beginning to realize that the difference in cultures was more confusing than what he'd first imagined it would be.

Even with all the pain in her head Irisa heard what Tommy had said, and made a mental note to kill him later. That was only a joke; she had no real intention of physically harming her partner, the key word here was *physically*. There were other ways of making him pay for his smart-ass remark, ways which included mental torture. Irisa smiled at her own thought, but regretted it immediately; smiling caused her head to hurt.

******************** Request for Answers ***********************

In a few moments Irisa became more alert. She opened her eyes to a bright light shining above her head (the light above the surgical cot), and witnessed Doc Yewll standing above her with some sort of instrument, gazing into her pupils.

"Focus for me please," the doctor requested from her patient as she examined Irisa closer, "Nope, there doesn't seem to be any brain damage," she concluded.

"Oh…. I'm sure there are a few loose screws in there," Tommy voiced, and then he looked over at the Indogene, "Doc, may I have a word alone with her," he requested.

The physician looked at the only human in the room (there being, in this part of the infirmary, only herself, Irisa and Tommy at the time), she was OK with that, but there were conditions.

"Permitted," she spoke, "…as long as there aren't too many questions, the girl needs rest more than anything." And with that the doctor left the room muttering that she had another patient to tend to.

Irisa looked over at Tommy…."What happened?"

The young Deputy gazed down at his girlfriend…..

"That's what I'd like for you to explain me. We found you out in the Wastelands, you and Chief Nolan, he….." before Lasalle could utter another word Irisa ushered concern for her father.

"How is he," her eyes opened wide, "…. how's Nolan?"

Tommy paused, he seemed a little miffed at the moment, but not overly.

"Nolan's fine, got a bump on the head like you, but other than that he'll recover. However, he's still unconscious. Now, can you tell me what happened out there?"

Irisa turned her head and resumed looking at the bright light above the medical cot. Its brilliance seemed to summon her into a trance, a state of recollection…..she remembered the last words that she had had with Nolan. Their last conversation before she lost consciousness…

******************** Out in the Badlands ***********************

Joshua Nolan, Lawkeeper of Defiance, had been looking over at the blown-out tire on the front passenger side of his roller. The sheriff had stooped pretty low, crouched down into a squatting positing, he viewed the damage which had been done to the wheel.

"Yep, this ones' been sabotaged too," he paused momentarily. He pointed to a thin, frayed wire which could be seen clearly under investigation. It had been part of a small explosive device that had become familiar to him with during the war.

"This was an XY-2 demolition mechanism, used by the "EMC" during the Pale Wars. It was the preferred device used by demolition squads for low-energy assaults."

He stopped and looked at his daughter...

"Just enough "Pow" to punch through a wall, or blast open a door. I've seen it used plenty, and recognize the signature. Seems to me someone wanted us stranded out here in the Badlands tonight," he viewed Irisa, "or maybe worse, cause the roller I was driving to have an accident," he noted confidentially, "depending on my rate of speed, this could have been very bad."

Irisa noticed her father's eyes glaze over; he was going through the analytical process, that bit of contemplation that told her that he was entering into deep thought.

"Why would someone want to blow-up my vehicle?"

Nolan had spoken his question aloud, seemingly to the air, "the idea's beyond me," then he realized that there was someone in town that might gain advantage with him out of the picture, a certain Castithan in town. He looked over at his daughter and gave her that Nolan smile…..

"I retract that statement," he spoke, and then still smiling, returned his attention to the damaged tire. At that moment something hit the ex-EMC soldier in the back of the head. Nolan fell over to the ground like a stone.

It took only the matter of a couple of heartbeats, but Irisa could already see a pool of blood gathering beneath her father's unconscious body, and she noticed a rock as well, a stone the size of a potato. It had been thrown, or launched, at the Lawkeeper, and had been the instrument used to bring him down, she watched (in a surreal state), as events played themselves out in a micro-second.

She was about to turn in the direction from which the projectile had come, but before she could, something struck against the side of her face, she wavered. There was a brief instance of pain, and then all went dark.

********************* Seeing Ghosts **********************

Irisa remembered waking up. She remembered the anguish, the throbbing agony still present in her brain. She remembered opening her eyes after her blackout, and seeing that it was twilight.

"Well, seems like our little Irathient isn't dead after all…." She heard someone say.

Still viewing the world through groggy eyes, the Irathient girl searched, and found, the deliverer of those words. Her mouth fell open….. and Irisa, was shocked beyond belief. There standing…. not ten feet away, was none other than…

"Jed Murphy!?"

The words filtered from the girls mouth as though she wanted to express them with more emotion, however, due to her injury (and her still state of confused), she was inhibited from doing so (she was still in sever agony). The man grinned…..

"Didn't think you'd be seeing me so soon now, did ya Irisa." he spoke, and his words were soaked with confidence, a kind of confidence that turned the soul. A bit of arrogance that made a person want to topple the pyramid out of spite (rather than for relevance). Jed eluded an arrogance that made Irisa's stomach turn. Here was a person demonstrating that he thought that he had complete control. He continued….

"Now don't fret you none, you're not dead, and you're not seeing a ghost. Although you were planning on putting an end to me at the Arkfall, I was able to make an exit from the downed votan craft."

Murphy then seemed to drift into a mode of sorrow, "My buddy Blake though, was not as fortunate," his eyes returned from looking at the ground, back to viewing the Irathient girl. Irisa witnessed hatred in those eyes, a fiery hatred that only the waters of revenge could cool.

"I swore to get even with you then. Revenge, yes I swore it, revenge for myself, and for the friend who's throat you cut and whose body was left lying in that votan coffin…. lying there, becoming a charbroiled piece of meat, a fried chicken inside a vessel that was never a part of this world…." * (author's note, see below).

(* Jed and Blake had been army buddies during the Pale Wars, and had fought against the votan in the regiment of the "Black Scorpions", a regiment that had lost more fighters than any other in the EMC. Jed held a hatred for the votan, and although he had survived the war, there was still a measure of animosity in which he viewed the aliens).

Murphy stopped and looked up at the night sky….then he continued speaking his thoughts aloud.

"Revenge, revenge is such sweet sorrow," the ex-Pale Wars soldier pulled his attention back down to Irisa, "Sorry," he spoke, "lost myself in the moment….. Quoting some writer whose book I never read. Still, I imagine that revenge may be as sweet as a sugarplum tonight?"

He focused on the girl intensely, and his grin became even bigger.

Irisa spoke trying to clarify what she was seeing…..

"But I saw the scorpion tattoo on the back of your neck. A dead man dug out of the ground only hours ago, just this morning?"

Jed Murphy turned and pointed to the tattoo that still adorned his own neck ….

"Similar to this one you mean?"

He soon turned back around and the pleasurable expression on his face never lingered.

"You should know Irisa… that Irathient tattoo ink is far superior in quality to that of what is found here on Earth (in reference to the ink the Irathients use to adorn their bodies). It is more resilient and can last longer in the ground on a buried corpse, maybe for eons. More superior and longer lasting, I swear that the poor "Chop" smuggler that you dug out of the ground today could have been unearthed years from now and still been identified by that simple ink mark upon his neck. As long as there remained skin upon his bones, the black scorpion printed on the back of his neck would have remained discernible."

At this point Jed had pretty much admitted to having been connected in the killing of the man, even though the fellow had been a drug smuggler, Murphy had pretty much confessed that he'd been involved in the victim's murder. Murphy looked over at Irisa, the girl had gained her feet, and was now standing next to the roller.

"I have a kinsman of yours with me," he spoke, "a fellow name of Tolkat here. Tattoo artist extraordinaire that he be, he helped in this deception."

Just then Jed made gesture to his left, and a young Irathient male walked up out of the darkness…

"Hello, Irisa," the new arrival spoke, "fancy meeting you here."

The Irathient girl knew this young male, a kinsman, not a member of Sukar's Spirit riders, but an Irathient just the same.

Tolkat was young Irathient male, around the age of twenty, and like Alak Tarr and Irisa herself, Tolkat had been born of Earth, and had not arrived in the Arks of his ancestral clan, therefore, the old ways were not his ways. Their identities were in crisis. Irisa could understand this, but that did not release this young Irathient boy from following the path of Irzu, it did not allow him to commit crime of unspeakable dimension.

"Tolkat, what is this about," Irisa questioned?

"What is this about?" The boy responded, "It's about you, me, and our whole Irathient race. We were fools … fools to believe in a god that would deliver us to a new, un-colonized solar system, a neo region where we could start over again. There is no Irzu Irisa, no god. I, myself am Irzu, I am the god of our ancestors, the god that proclaims myself Divine Deity."

As Tolkat spoke he brought up a fiber which was contained within his hand. Irisa recognized the smoke as "Chop", a synthetic drug used to enhance the senses and create euphoria in the mind. It helped the Irathient youth of Earth escape from reality. The drug seemed to vault Tolkat onto a higher plain, send him into a trance that would negate the teachings of their Irathient race.

It proclaimed, in some sense, that the cosmos was of our own creation, that there was no God, no Divinity, nothing but ourselves, that there was nothing to look forward to in our lives but only death, and an end to what we know, what we could reason. It proclaimed that a Divine Deity was a base of entertainment; a false belief system which was created and used to evaluate all life in the galaxy, to keep worlds in-check.

It hurt Irisa to hear him speak like that, although she was not of the "Spirit Riders", and, had been raised by a human father most of her life, she could understand Tolkat's confusion. Still, it did not allow him to abandon his belief in what was right. It did not allow him to break moral code and just do whatever he wanted. there were rules, rule of earth and rules of the cosmos, and for him to break them was a crime….

"What of Sukar, although you weren't a Spirit Riders, you visited them often?'

"Sukar is a fool, just as you are," Tolkat announced, he spoke of Sukar... "He lay there in his comatose state, awaiting messages of Irzu,"

The young irathient boy focused on Irisa, "I am the one who whispered secrets into his ear Irisa. The one who told him where to find the bodies buried outside of town. Yes I am the individual that led you to discover the graves outside of Defiance,'" he paused for a second…

"…and I am the one who killed Ornak. He was a friend of mine, but when he caught me stealing from his family home in order to pay for "Chop" he threatened to turn me in. At that point there was no recourse but to silence him, put him down."

It was obvious that Tolkat had killed Ornak, murdered him to keep his secret. Irisa viewed her kinsman under a different scope. Evidently her race was becoming more humanized that she thought it could be. That Tolkat had fallen under the influence of substance abuse more than she deemed that an Irathient ever could. The evidence was becoming clearer, that their breed was becoming more diluted than ever. Sure she had received subliminal messages from Sukar which had led her to the bodies of murdered individuals outside of town, but she would never have guessed that an Irathient had been involved in those murders. She refocused her view on Tolkat, seeing him with a different set of eyes. He was a kid surly, but an individual who'd committed unspeakable crime, murder, murder against his own.

Just as she was about to speak Jed silenced her. He introduced another individual, a person that made things more clear by the moment.

"And let me introduce to you Keagan, Irisa," Jed said, "…master of small explosives, Keagan is the fellow who rigged Nolan's spare tire and the front passenger wheel, with explosives sure to render the vehicle inoperable," Jed spoke. A man walked up out of the darkness on his right side…

"Hi Irisa, I'm sure you don't remember me, but I was at the grave-site today. A little nothing man with a little nothing personality, yet I have big plans. You see, one day I hope to have enough money to get away from Defiance, to book resort on one of the find beaches of Antarctica. Sabotaging the Lawkeeper's roller and stranding you and he out in the Badlands has posted a pretty decent paycheck for me, and gained me a bit closer to my goal."

Irisa did recognize the scumbag; he had been the driver of Amanda Rosewater's transport when she had come driving up to investigate the grave-site. It was no wonder he hadn't been noticed while planting the explosives on Nolan's roller. No one would ever suspect an employee of the Mayor to be so deceptive, so venerable to the NER, or maybe he was in alliance to Datak Tarr. Whomever was salting Keagan's paycheck, the man did not realize that he was one foot beyond the grave himself?

Irisa was curious, but she may not live through the night to find out the identity of this individual herself. She resolved her soul to Irzu, may her god be with her in peace...

END PART 21


	22. Chapter 22

Defiance of the Many 22

"Irzu: god of Recompense"

Author's note: Chapter 22. Final to the DotM story arc for now, hope you enjoy, Z.

Irisa and her father have been recovered from the Badlands, injured, but still alive. They have been brought back to the clinic of Defiance (Doc Yewll's medical facility), to be treated for their wounds. Also, when they are able, there are questions that need to be answered, questions like…. "What the shtako happened out there?"

Irisa HAS, regained consciousness, although Nolan has not. Her father's injury seems to be more severe than that of the Irathient girl's, or maybe Irisa is just tougher?

Anyhow, once they were found, although there were footprints everywhere…. Tommy and his squad of deputies were unable to make sense of anything. (Deputy Lasalle and his associates were told where they could find the missing Lawkeeper and his daughter. Informed by a mysterious old hermit, some guy calling himself Jeremiah Jones).

Events at the scene were rather confusing, so, it is left up to the Irath girl to try to remember, and explain what had happened.

******************** Sinking ***********************

Irisa Nyira, appointed deputy and adopted daughter of Joshua Nolan, Lawkeeper of the neo town of Defiance, opened her eyes and noticed the bright light still radiating above her head. She realized also, that she was still on the medical cot inside Doctor Yewll's clinic.

The young Irathient girl turned her head to the side and could see Tommy Lasalle, her partner, waiting patiently for her recovery.

She remembered that she'd been tasked to recall what had happened to her, and also her father, out in the Wastelands. However, instead of trying to remember what had happened, the young votan had chosen to immerse herself in a * "sinking"(see explanation below), or as Sukar may have called it, "Assume a path to Irzu", which more or less meant that she should put herself in a state of mental teleportation. Become immersed in a trance that might help her better recall details of the event.

*("Sinking"… defining the word here, for story purposes, I've chosen to express it as more than just a word with one meaning. Author's prerogative is that, in the Irathient culture, the term "Sinking" may translate to more than what applies to the funerary ritual ceremony. It may also express any moment in which the soul leaves the body and begins a spiritual path or pilgrimage. Just as we use particular words to apply various meanings, the expression "Sinking" may be used by the Iraths to suggest that the spirit is being absorbed into an alternate region or past reality).

Relying on memory alone might not help Irisa to explain the fine points of what had happened to her, and her father, out in the Badlands. Preferring to perform a semblance of the "sinking" she could be teleported back in time, in a sense. Brought back to relive the events of that night, therefore, giving her a better understanding and helping her to reconstruct the tiny details of what had happened the night before.

Irisa looked over that Tommy, he was about to speak then her eyes told him to restrain his questions, she was not ready to answer his inquiries just yet. There was more "sinking" that needed to be done before she could remember it all.

She returned to viewing the bright light overhead, she focused on the brilliant illumination, and…. began her "sinking" again.

******************** Irzu: god of Recompense ***********************

Irisa returned to the spiritual realm of teleporting herself back into time, returned to the moment when Jed Murphy had introduced Keagan, Mayor Rosewater's driver, to her the night before. She found herself focusing on the man's eyes, eyes that denoted cruelty, and a desire to harm people for profit or pleasure. Had Keagan been a soldier in the war, was the evil seen in his eyes an act of revenge, or was it just natural for him? Who could tell? He seemed young.

Keagan had allegedly sabotaged the roller that she and Nolan had been riding in, but he had more tricks up his sleeve, he also had a brother, a brother that was on his way to Defiance with the NER, a twin brother named Jonah.

"Hello Irisa, I'm sure you don't remember me, but I was at the gravesite today. A little nothing man with a little nothing personality, yet I have big plans. You see, one day I hope to have enough money to get away from Defiance, to book resort on one of the find beaches of Antarctica. Sabotaging the Lawkeeper's roller…..and, stranding you here, out in the Badlands has posted a pretty decent paycheck for me, and gotten me a little closer to my goal."

Yes, she remembered that he had said that, and she also remembered that his claim for sabotaging the roller had been for profit. She didn't care about his motives. Wanting to gain enough money to get to Antarctica; it had been a goal of hers also. Still, there was no excuse for his actions.

Antarctica had been a location of desire on her wish list too, a place for them to get away from it all (she and her father), a paradise where Nolan had promised to take her. But destinies change, and priorities, her dream had faltered. Now becoming a deputy of Defiance, Irisa hadn't dropped her moral code. She began looking at the man, standing there smiling at her, with a view of contempt.

Jed looked over at Keagan…..

"Driver, would you be so gracious as to do the honors of tying Miss Irisa up, and then hauling her ass over to the roller we have stash behind this hill of boulders behind us," Jed paused momentarily, seeing if Keagan understood his instruction? It registered in the man's eyes that he was well aware of what Murphy wanted him to do. Jed continued…

"Tolkat and I will go fetch her friend, Mr. Lawkeeper over there," Jed pointed in the direction where Nolan's body lie stretched out on the ground, "he's still unconscious and it will take the two of us to get his heavy carcass off the ground. We'll meet you at the roller in a few minutes."

Murphy then looked over at Irathient girl….Irisa spoke to the him….

"You mean to take us as hostage, or something else," she questioned?

Jed smiled, "For a time," he answered, and then his face got serious, " It may be up to you how long you and you father remain living, " he paused…..

"Remember, no trouble from you, or I'll put a bullet through daddy Lawkeeper's brain."

It was understood that she should not pull any stunt, or post struggle if she wanted to keep Nolan alive.

Keagan walked up and spoke to the girl, "Turn around so I can tie your hands," he said, indicating that she should face away from him as he bound her. The two watched as other men left to recover Nolan.

"I'm going to enjoy watching Murphy do, whatever it is he has plans to doing to you," he spoke leaning close to her ear. The man's cruelty oozed from his mouth, like sap from a Bongus Tree. He finished applying the tie to her hands.

Suddenly, Irisa felt something happen, and Keagan was violently jerked away from her; it seemed as if he'd been forcibly pulled from behind. The Irathient girl half-turned and she heard him call out for somebody to help. She looked to see Keagan on the ground, his ankles enveloped by some kind of dark, thick root, and it was pulling him backwards, almost as if he were a ball rolling across an earthen carpet. The movement was quick, and rather rapid, and seemed intelligently controlled. His arms outstretched, his fingers sinking into the soft ground in an attempt to keep himself from being forcibly pulled in the reverse direction. Soon he had been reeled all the way into the shadowy region behind them, the darkness which lay beneath the large boulders back there.

The light of a full moon's illumination were cast atop the rocks, however, beneath the huge stones there was a blackness which seemed so dark that it could be classified as Stygian darkness, a black beyond black. Try as she might, Irisa's vision could not penetrate that wall of darkness. She could not see what had taken hold of Keagan. However, whatever it was, it was made more horrific by remaining unseen.

She could hear the sound of something being crushed, but she did focus on, or comprehend what it could be at that time.

Soon Jed and Tolkat returned, they had heard the commotion and come to investigate, yet, at their arrival they found that their comrade was not there, and he was nowhere within sight. He had disappeared.

"WHERE IS HE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH KEAGAN?" Murphy shouted!

"I've done nothing to that piece of shtako, my hands were tied the whole time,"Irisa replied.

Both men turn to search for their partner, yet there was no indication of him. They turned back to look at Irisa.

"Alright you little freak," Jed said, "you'd better tell me what's going on?"

Irisa opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word something large and dark slunk out of the shadows again, and this time its target was Jed. It snatched the man by the ankles; he fell prone onto the ground with a heavy "THUD".

Jed began yelling out, just as keagan had done, and just as the man before him, Murphy was reeled backwards, towards the unyielding darkness beneath the boulders, a darkness that spoke at there was a monster awaiting there, a devil… and it had him roped around his ankles and was dragging him to hell.

Murphy screamed for mercy, even while firing his weapon into the darkness, still it didn't help. Whether he hit flesh, or stone, the bullets had no effect. In two seconds he was gone, and there were more sounds of something being crushed.

Irisa's eyes were as wide as saucers, and Tolkat were too. The young Irathient boy turned to her, there was a look of apprehension in his eyes, yet before he could say a word something reached out and took hold of his legs and began pulling him down.

Irisa could see, at this point, that this was no tree root, no leafy vine that had a hold of the boy…..it was a tentacle, the large, horrific arm of some living creature. It had stretched out and taken hold of Tolkat.

Attempting to avoid being caught herself, the Irath girl turned; she could see that the door to the roller had been left open, and seeing this as a possible avenue of escape, she vaulted inside the vehicle head first. She stretched out across the seats, fearing attack at any moment, and she began to pray. In an instant something grabbed her; it took ahold of her legs. Irisa struggled, but could not get herself free. She looked back and could see that it was not the monster, with its slimy tentacles, which had attached to her, but she was in the grasp of the Irathient sinner. The boy who'd posted blasphemy against their god. Tolkat had grabbed Irisa by the ankles and was holding a death grip on her. She looked into his face, into his eyes, and she could see repentance there, a pleading that swore to her, that should she save him, he would confess his crime and change his ways.

"Irisa help me! It's got me," Tolkat called out!

He then pleaded to his creator, the god of the Iranient race, "IRZU, MY GOD, PLEASE HELP MEeeeeee!"

Strange isn't it, how in times of crisis, or predicaments of distress... so many individuals, of all races, in all locations of the cosmos, call out for their god, yet, sometimes their god doesn't hear.

Hope was beginning to fade from his eyes, and he was calling for assistance from anyone, even Irzu, the god he had denied earlier. But Irisa was helpless to do anything, she could only look at the boy. She then spoke to him the last thing that he wanted to hear…..

"Tolkat, you cursed our god, spoke to me that there was no god, that there was no Creator at all. Well, it is time for recompense, atonement, and Irzu is here. Who do you think has a hold of you now?"

With those words the last hope of the young Irath boy drained away. He was pulled from Irisa's legs and was dragged into the whole of that darkness beneath the boulders, dragged into that deep pool of black, into the arms of Irzu, the god that would devoured his soul.

Irisa could hear bones being crushed, of limbs being pulled apart, and she tried not to listen. She awaited the monster's return, for the time that it would come back for her, but it never did.

Irisa was sure that it wasn't the god Irzu which had ripped the young Irathient from her, but maybe it was a Deity that stood in Irzu's stead. The beast her god had sent to extract revenge, his punishment for denying him, and for spending a life wasted.

She and Nolan had been warned about creatures that they might not want to encounter if they remained too long in the Badlands. Warned by a mysterious old hermit that they had met earlier in the day, someone calling himself Jeremiah Jones. The Irathient girl was curious as to who this man was, what was his duty, his bond?

She meant to look into the mysterious background of this individual, and find out who he was.

******************** Epilogue ***********************

Irisa had lain in the roller for some time before exhaustion and her injury again forced her to slip into unconsciousness. In the morning she had awaken in the medical facility located in the town of Defiance. Now she remembered what had happened to her the previous night, and what had befallen the three men who had wanted to do her, and her father harm. She would tell her tale to Tommy later, but right now she wanted him to check on Nolan. She wanted to make sure that her father was OK.

END PART 22

Conclusion: After writing 22 chapters of DotM, I am taking a break from continuing with this story arc. It was fun and I'm sure that I will return to it at some point, I'm just not sure when. If you liked the story then let me know. I enjoyed posting every chapter (even with all the mistakes that were noticed later). Anyhoo, thanks for reading and I hope that you were pleasantly entertained, Z.

PS: Is it strange, I find myself saying "shtako" a lot now?


	23. Chapter 23

Defiance of the Many 23

"So, You Think You Know Nolan?"

Author's note: Nolan remembers the time when he lost 16 soldiers under his command, and ….those memories remain, and still come back to haunt him.

Joshua Nolan, Commander and soldier of one small remaining unit of the 9th, which later became part of the "Defiant Few", has issues. Nolan is constantly bombarded with (and suffers from a severe case of) "survivor's guilt". A condition that care-provider Doc Yewll is aware of, however, as being the only physician in town (and an individual with limited means of providing for the ill-addicted), she has no means of treating a person with Lawkeep Nolan's sort of problems. She is no therapist, nor has she existing in her small office, medicine other than what can be provided to the folk in town who are sickly or injured. That being said, Joshua Nolan, ex-combatant and soldier of the Pale Wars, is a man that will have to weather his condition alone (personal storms are his to combat), without therapy or otherwise professional help.

Now, that being said, Nolan does live with patriotism, and is of the belief that he has always tried to do the right thing. However, the guilt of the war, and sometimes what he's done, never completely escapes his mind. Some of those atrocities could be considered as acts of valor, while some, not so much, depending on one's POV. One of those atrocities took place on Hill 17, an encounter that cost the lives of many comrades, and although successful, and served him with recognition, after the war, still causes him to do some severe soul searching (a place Nolan doesn't like to go. It makes him reflect on his past and analyze himself as good soldier, or monster?)

This is a part of the man that he has never shared with his daughter. Irisa has no idea what her dad has lived through, or what he'd done to survive through the war. The only folk who do know are the people that were there with him, the three survivors that walked off that hill with him, Private Margret Case, Private Duncan Vile and comrade Eddie Braddock. Those three are the only ones who saw what he saw, and experienced what he experienced. They alone, are the only ones that would likely be able to judge him, or each other, in a fair manner.

This story was derived from the live broadcast testimony presented by Datak Tarr (over the loud speaker from the arch played before the Mayor election as seen in the tv series).

Nolan never spoke of his testimony at court as being untrue, or as being forged. He admitted, during the post war trials by the "General Assembly" years ago, that he had no problem killing anyone that seemed a threat to the EMC and his command during the "War", which at some point might include the shooting of adolescents if he was forced to. He maintained this position even after all was said and done, and it may have been a reason why, even as a decorated hero, he was not recruited into the assemblage of the NER as was Conner Lang.

What follows below is a war story, an incident that happened on a piece of ground, a little recognized place known as Hill 17….

************************* Plans For Hill 17 *************************

"Corporal Dunkirk, get me the Lieutenant commander of 9th Battalion unit 12!"

Captain Drew voiced his command loudly and forcefully. Corporal Dunkirk looked at his commander…..

"Sorry Sir, Lieutenant Valdez was killed last night in the bombardment from the Votan armory coming from Hill 17, and the sergeant from that unit was killed the day before."

"Who's in charge then?"

"Best we can serve up at this point is a Corporal Sir, Corporal Nolan."

The Lieutenant studied the face of the man giving him the information…..

"Corporal Nolan, I see, "he paused for a moment, contemplating what his next decision would be. He knew of Nolan, knew that he was a very capable soldier. The Lieutenant then commanded what he wanted done...

"Well, hustle him up, get him here pronto. I intend to launch an attack on that hill, an attack that will silence those weapons. They've caused enough damage to the 9th as it is."

"Sir, the 12th only has 20 soldiers still left in it that are in fighting condition, and that hill is well fortified. A small unit action as such, well it may wipe out the entire fold and…"

"And if we don't take the hill those guns could take out an entire regiment. Numbers Corporal, sacrifice, expose the lives of the few for lives the many. You were a mathematics teacher before the war, correct?"

"Affirmative Sir…."

"Well then, numbers should be your specially, 20 over 620, do the math son!"

The Corporal saluted then left the tent to round up the next soldier in the chain of command, Corporal Nolan.

************************* The Battle for Hill 17 *************************

Lieutenant Drew put his finger on the Map.

"Nolan, see these X's…."

The Corporal being addressed tilted his head in the affirmative and voiced a sturdy, "Yes Commander, I do."

"Those are where we think the gun emplacements are. You have nineteen soldiers; do you think you're up to the order of taking out four Votan, heavy-duty armor batteries?"

Nolan contemplated what the Lieutenant was requesting.

"Sir, the mission will be a success, or I won't come off that hill alive."

Lieutenant Drew was happy with that answer. He paused then saluted….

"The chore is yours soldier, make me proud."

Nolan gave a return salute, and then was gone from the tent.

The Lieutenant looked over at his runner in waiting, Corporal Dunkirk, "If that man makes it back here alive, remind me late to serve him up with a promotion."

*************** Battle Plans ********************

Corporal Nolan approached the remaining soldiers that were now under his command.

"Well friends, looks as if we have a tough one here. The Commander has given us an assignment of taking Hill 17 and silencing the big cannon there.

"What?"

Eddie Braddock was the first to announce his displeasure with the order. Among the 20 remaining grunts of troop 12, he and Nolan were the one with the most experience. They were like heroes to the rest of the clan.

"**No Man**, doesn't seem to me that this is a very good idea, sounds more like a suicide mission."

"Eddie, orders are orders, right or wrong this is straight from command, and our duty is to take that hill. If those guns aren't put to rest, no telling how many of our brigade will be."

The younger members of the group were gathered all around, and looking for the one of the two who would win this bout of differences. However, although Braddock had as equal an amount of experience as Nolan, he was still a soldier and under Joshua's command. The lesser Corporal of the group just smiled. He had that certain little grin that always announced that, although no words were coming from his mouth, those eyes spoke volumes, and right now they was saying "Bullshit".

"Gear up troops, we'll be headed uphill in about twenty minutes," Nolan spoke. His plan was the set a goal of each group of five individuals to take out a single gun. If one group was to accomplish its task before the others, then it would assist until the mount was captured.

Nolan moved through the trenches sixty meters from the gun emplacements. He gave the signal to "pop-smoke". A dozen grenades flew from the trenches and were lobbed in the enemy's direction. The safety of the trenches were soon abandoned and the whole of unit 12 were on their feet and galloping toward enemy lines at a fast pace. Rapid weapon fight was soon heard, and although he couldn't see much through the smoke, Nolan knew that soldiers were falling all around him. There were screams of death and cries of pain, but a soldier's duty on the attack was to stop for nothing. The medics and the surgical teams would see to the dead and wounded later.

The 12th marched right up that hill and Nolan took out the first two rapid-fire guns with two frag-grenades. Private Vile, to his left sprayed another position on his side with automatic fire that sent that group of enemy to Votan hell. To his far right, Nolan noticed that Eddie and one of his group, had reached the first heavy gun. They set charges and blew the thing to smithereens. He looked forward just in time to see a votan rise up from a trench with an explosive in his hand. He put a round in the man's chest and the fellow fell back, his bomb blowing up the second cannon, doing the Corporal's job for him. Once he reached the hole he saw that there was no one left in that position alive. The noise of the ongoing attack was almost deafening. Nolan looked to his left and noticed that Private Vile had extinguished the third cannon. That meant that there was one remaining. Looking over to the right again, Nolan could see that the last gun hadn't been touched. The crew assigned to take it had all been killed, whipped out by the small arms set to guard the heavy mortar. Nolan abandoned his trench to attack the position but before he could advance a grenade landed behind him. Exploding if blew the legs off of the remaining soldier of his group. The soldier bled out in seconds, Nolan rushed the last emplacement left on the hill. There was a bit of shrapnel embedded in his shoulder and it caused a gush of fresh blood to come streaming from the injury, but better there than in his brain.

Nolan sought cover as he noticed the rapid-fire weapon turn to be place in his direction, yet, before the gun-crew could engage fire, the sound of a Frontier-Saw took then out. Nolan looked over and saw a slight figure approach from their rear, it was Private Margaret Case. She had flanked the gun-crew and put them down.

The final gun-battery was destroyed, but looking around at his surviving command, Corporal Nolan could see that it was bitter sight. Only he, Private Case, Private Duncan Vile, and Eddie were left standing. The mission had been a success, but at what cost? Just then Margaret turned and put a bullet through the chest of the last assailant on the hill. Upon further inspection it was found that the votan was mortally wounded. He died gasping for air and a strange look in his eyes of bewilderment.

At closer range, it was found that he was a young votan of sixteen or seventeen and had been crippled. What looked to be a weapon in his arms, when he was crawling out of the trench, had actually been a crutch.

Private Case fell down to the ground sick. She vomited her morning rations onto the blood-soaked dirt of Hill 17.

Nolan walked over to the Private, knowing full well that, had she heisted, it might have been him lying on the ground at this point. She didn't know, she couldn't have known. In war you shoot first, and then think about it later. It had been a mistake, but as he saw it, no error in judgment. He stooped down to the young recruit weeping on the ground in her torture.

"Margaret, had you paused he might have gotten us all. You didn't know. Had you not reacted, we might have all been lying here on the ground. I'd have done the same. An enemy comes at you in war, there is no time to describe age, or intent, or what kind of weapon they hold in their hands. You fire, and hope you get them before they get you.

Nolan and the remainder of unit 12 walked off that hill that day. The Corporal was given commendation for his actions, even at such a high cost.

Later, sworn to secrecy about the death of the young votan were Private Duncan Vile, Margaret Case, Nolan and lastly Eddie Braddock. Those four soldiers would that that secret to their graves.

END PAT 23


End file.
